It takes an incredible amount of courage to investigate a long-hidden, confronting family truth, and these six everyday Australians have it in spades in season one of SBS’ three-part documentary series Every Family Has A Secret, hosted by much-loved actress Noni Hazlehurst.
Unknown parents, a Nazi collaborator, acrobats, conmen, crime, surveillance and newly found siblings are all in the mix in these remarkable, emotional and heartfelt life stories.
The unearthed family secrets on these surprising journeys in Australia and abroad will change the lives of each person forever.
Angela Hamilton
Angela visits a Jewish cemetery in Romania on the trail of her father’s past. Source: SBS
Angela wants to know why and when he became this way, travelling to his home country of Romania to find out. She investigates the mystery of her father’s time in jail, and discovers why he ended up in Australia after WW2.
Aided by experts, what Angela finds in documents that piece together an unknown part of her father’s life, is surprising and shocking. An incredibly emotional journey, she discovers a complex man and faces her worst fears.
Li Ying Andrews
Olivia (left) joins mother Li Ying on a journey of discovery in Taiwan. Source: SBS
Growing up in Taiwan was both a tragic and colourful experience, with Li Ying first raised along with her younger brother, by an uncle and aunty. They were then split up – he was sent to an orphanage, she was abandoned by her uncle at an acrobatics school where she was adopted by one of the owners.
In her youth, Li Ying travelled the world as an acrobat and contortionist with nightclub act ‘The Trio Fantastic’ – Li Ying is her stage name.
Now living in Sydney, the grandmother and mother of three only recently told her daughter Olivia of her mysterious origins. They set off to Taiwan in the hope of finding the information that will reshape Li Ying’s identity, discovering a life of incredible twists and turns, and if any of her family are still alive.
Lance Innes
Lance tries to understand the man of mystery that was his father, Al. Source: SBS
When Lance Googled his father, references to “plots, kidnapping” and “ammunition running” popped up. And to Lance’s amazement, recently declassified documents reveal his father, who went by a string of aliases, was a person of great interest with the FBI, and photos show he was under surveillance by ASIO before he fled Stateside.
Not only that, but Lance learns about the several families his late father abandoned around the world.
Michelle White
Michelle finally discovers why her mother was sent to jail as a young woman. Source: SBS
"Michelle discovers that her British-born grandfather George Driscoll led her mother astray, landing her in a children’s home at around 12 years of age. She learns that his own institutionalisation, as part of a child migration scheme from the UK to Australia in the 1920s, was the beginning of a damaging cycle of institutionalisation in her family.
But as confronting as this emotional journey is, Michelle discovers that things aren’t always what they seem.
David Field
David explores a family secret that could change his sense of identity. Source: SBS
As a young man, David’s identity was called into question upon the shocking deathbed confession of his grandfather, and he’s hitting the road to find an answer to the long-standing question – is the man who raised him his biological father?
Marie-Anne Keeffe
Marie-Anne is looking for closure after being adopted as a baby. Source: SBS
Though she managed to make contact with her birth mother Fran, a cruel twist of fate meant she would never meet her. Now, Marie-Anne is investigating the identity of her biological father, an Italian taxi driver, and gaining an insight into why her mother had to give her up. And she learns from a few of her mother’s friends some poignant revelations.
Every Family Has A Secret season 2 premieres on Tuesday 22 September at 7.30pm on SBS. Episodes will also screen as an encore on SBS VICELAND Thursdays at 11pm.
Watch the trailer here:
Every Family Has A Secret will be subtitled in and and added to the subtitled collection at , available same time as broadcast.
