Woman, 61, is reunited with brother she never knew she had 60 years after they were separated when their 'cruel' adoptive parents sent him back to the children's home

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A woman who was separated from her brother after their adoptive family sent him back to a children's home has finally been reunited with him 60 years later on Long Lost Family.

The new series of the ITV programme starts tonight at 9pm, and follows the story of 61-year-old Tegan Cornish, who lives in Ealing, west London.

At 14 months old, Tegan was adopted by a couple in their fifties, but she never found a sense of belonging at home, with her 'cruel' adoptive mother threatening to 'send her back' to a children's home if she misbehaved.

As a result, Tegan felt isolated throughout her childhood, spending more time at her close friend Samantha's house, or hidden away in her bedroom reading. As Tegan grew older, she longed to find a familial connection and attempted to locate her birth family.

Tegan discovered that she had a secret blood brother who her adoptive parents had also taken in, only to return him to foster care, but she was a toddler herself at the time and didn't remember him. 

Six decades later the pair have finally reunited in an emotional episode airing tonight.

Tegan Cornish (pictured left), from west London, reunited with her blood brother after 60 years of separation on ITV's Long Lost Family with the help of presenter Davina McCall (pictured right)

Tegan grew up in Ealing with her adoptive parents, she explained: 'I don't think I ever felt loved really.'

'My mother could be quite cruel. She would say: "If you don't behave, I'll send you back". I didn't ever want to be sent back because I knew that being in a children's home would be much worse.

'I felt quite lonely, and I spent most of my time in my room reading, so I would've really loved some brothers and sisters and to have been surrounded by a bigger family.'

'Here on the estate, children played together... I would have loved to have had those memories with my younger brother and to be a big sister.'

Due to her often-unpleasant living environment, Tegan would spend time at her close friend Samantha's house, recalling: 'It was nice to have that escape'.

As Tegan grew older, it became more important for her to discover her birth family. 

'I didn't know anything at all about my birth family when I was growing up; as I got older it got quite important to me to find out more,' she said.

It was only in her forties that Tegan accessed her records, which revealed that her birth mother was an unmarried teenager.

The records also held the shocking information that she had a baby brother called Kenneth, who was born in August 1963, making him 14 months younger than Tegan.

Kenneth Alan (pictured) was overcome with emotion when he learned of his biological sister, Tegan 

Kenneth (pictured during childhood) experienced a similar upbringing to his biological sister and felt unloved by his adoptive parents 

However, Tegan's records held an even bigger surprise. She explained: 'I went to my adoptive family at the beginning of October 1963 and Kenneth came with me.

'It hadn't actually clicked until I read through the notes that he had come with me. That was a real shock.'

The form revealed a change of circumstance for Kenneth, saying he was transferred to a different home. Tegan's adoptive parents gave Kenneth up when he was just three months old.

'He was with me for six weeks,' Tegan said. 'Knowing he didn't stay with me is quite devastating, it's difficult.

'I was shocked to learn he had been there and then got send back. Where did he get sent back to? Who took him?'

'I find it sad that we could have been together longer. I'd absolutely love for him to be back in my life.'

Growing up, Tegan's adoptive mother would threaten to 'send her back' to foster care if she misbehaved 

Long Lost Family accessed Kenneth's records and discovered that after almost two years in care, eventually he was adopted by a family with the surname Alan.

Given that Kenneth Alan is not an uncommon name, it took the team more than a year to locate Tegan's brother, with researchers contacting every Kenneth Alan they could trace in the UK.

After months of searching, the team found Kenneth living in Lambeth, London, just 10 miles away from where Tegan grew up.

Kenneth, a delivery driver, experienced a similar childhood to his biological sister.

'I was told I was the only one,' he recalled.

When asked what his childhood was like, Kenneth said: 'Just loneliness to be honest... that's the epitome of my youth.'

He said he was 'distanced' from his adoptive parents growing up. For example, they would take their biological daughter on holiday but leave him behind at home.

The pair were overcome with emotion when they reunited and toasted to the future of their relationship 

When the Long Lost Family team reached out to Kenneth with the news that he has biological sister, he was overcome with emotion. 

'I cried for four hours, I had to read the letter twice,' he said. 'To find out that we were actually together for a short while breaks my heart, I would have loved to grow up with Tegan.'

'Thankfully, I met my wife Elise at 15 years old. We've been together 45 years in June last year.'

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It would mean everything to me [to meet Tegan]. It means I could put the past behind and get on with the future.'

Presenter Davina McCall later met Tegan with the happy news that Kenneth would like to meet her.

Davina delivered an emotional letter to Tegan from Kenneth. 'Dear Tegan, when I found out how long you've been looking for me, I was overwhelmed... I cannot wait to start our sister, brother relationship,' the letter read.

Tegan met Kenneth and his wife in a London pub. The biological siblings were overjoyed during their emotional reunion.

Tegan said: 'I've got so much to say I don't know where to start. I'm super happy to have a blood brother, there is a bond between us, I don't feel like he's a stranger at all.'

Meanwhile, Kenneth recalled: 'Just meeting you today has been fantastic... it's a dream come true.'

The newfound siblings raised a glass to the future, with the Long Lost Family team later revealing that the siblings have begun to introduce each other to their wider families.

The new series of Long Lost Family starts on tonight at 9pm on ITV