TV icon Davina McCall and the creators of ITV's acclaimed show Long Lost Family are calling on individuals connected to the notorious UK Mother and Baby Homes Scandal.

For 15 years, the BAFTA-winning programme Long Lost Family has been reuniting loved ones after decades apart.

Having recently highlighted the poignant tales of mothers in Britain and Spain who lost their children under Franco's dictatorship, the series is now turning its attention to the UK's mother and baby homes.

The upcoming episodes will explore the plight of single pregnant women and the subsequent adoptions that took place from 1949 to 1976. The production will work alongside Ariel Bruce, a seasoned social worker, to facilitate the reunion of mothers with their now-grown children.

Ariel has dedicated her career since 1985 to supporting those affected by adoption and tracing family members, reports .

A representative for the series stated: "Around a quarter of the stories across our series since it began fifteen years ago have involved people who stayed in, gave birth in, or were placed for adoption from mother and baby homes. However, we have never made a programme that focusses solely on such stories. It feels like the right moment to do so."

Davina McCall added her voice, saying: "These women's stories are a forgotten part of our history. It's vital that we help mothers searching for answers before it's too late."

The team behind the special episode is still open to applications, including from those who have previously applied.

In the special episode The Spanish Baby Scandal, which aired in January, viewers were introduced to Ruth Appleby, whose first child was born in Spain in 1992.

Ruth shared her story with hosts Davina and Nicky Campbell, expressing her belief that her daughter had died at birth, but recent years have brought suspicions that she may have been stolen.

Recounting her heartbreaking tale, she said: "If the ashes I have aren't my child's, who's are they? I need the truth.

"For me, just knowing my child is alive would change my life."

Davina responded: "It is unbearable listening to you. As a mother, I can't bear it. I feel so much compassion for you. It's terrible."

Ruth, who was 60 years old when the programme aired in January, is a teaching assistant living in the Yorkshire Dales. She spent 24 years in Spain after travelling there in 1982 with her boyfriend, who was teaching Spanish. It was in La Coruna where she gave birth.

Long Lost Family is available to watch on ITVX.