Mark Steel

'It never really bothered me that I’d never met my mum.

It never occurred to me I needed to meet her to ‘find out who I was’, as it didn’t seem likely I’d discover I was someone different to who I thought I was.

Could it turn out I was three stone lighter than I thought, or I spoke Italian or supported Arsenal or had a fear of Liquorice Allsorts?

But after the birth of my own son, I realised it’s quite an event to have a child, and she may well remember giving birth to me, and maybe even the adoption.'