So irresponsible!’ rage Born From The Same Stranger viewers as they slam ‘grotesque’ hunt for sperm donors
VIEWERS of brand new documentary series Born From The Same Stranger have been left unimpressed by the show’s hunt for anonymous sperm donors.
The new ITV programme, fronted by Davina McCall, sees individuals who were born to mothers who used sperm donors attempt to trace and contact their biological father.
Although the show has helped to bring some closure to some of the participants that were searching for their long-lost relatives, questions have since been raised about the ethics of the programme.
The show was commissioned in response to a change in UK law regarding the identity of sperm donation.
It outlined how anyone born via sperm donation after 2005 would legally be able to request the details of the donor by the time they turned 18.
However, the show has been hit by backlash from furious fans after the show followed the stories of those born before 2005.
Viewers watching along were left fuming that the show had ‘hunted down’ the sperm donors who are legally entitled to anonymity.
They argued they had been ‘ambushed’ when the law protects them from being contacted by their ‘children’.
The ITV programme used DNA evidence and special intermediaries in order to acquire the information and place the participants with their ‘donor’.
Branding the new series “grotesquely irresponsible”, fans were left slamming the decision to broadcast the programme.
Writing on X – formerly Twitter – one wrote at length: “I think this is a pretty grotesquely irresponsible piece of television.
“I mean if you donated sperm in the mid 90’s and you were told that your details would be kept confidential for life, irrespective of if the child in their latter years wanted to find out who their father was, to then conduct a programme of children (now adults) trying to trace who their father was and having it filmed could destroy someones life both for the father and for the child.
“This is not entertainment and could have massive repercussions.”
Another went on to add: “I feel for the men who donated on #bornfromthesamestranger like don’t they have the right to privacy?”
Before a third wrote: “Not sure how I feel about all this, I can totally understand why the men are saying no contact.”
The show featured the case of 28 year old Liam whose mother opted to use a sperm donor when she turned 36 in order to fulfil her lifelong desire to have a child.
Despite admiring his mother’s decision, Liam recalled of ‘dreaming’ about his biological father.
He said on the show: “When I was younger I did imagine meeting him quite a lot, and obviously that was more about meeting a dad and imagining the kind of feelings I would feel.”
“Recently I found a stockpile of Father’s Day cards I had written as a child to this imaginary dad, I remember hiding them away to give to him one day.”
Ultimately, despite being able to locate the sperm donor via Facebook, Liam opted not to make contact with the man after having a change of heart whilst weighing up his options.
Liam said: “I do feel a bit of empathy towards him… maybe he never wanted me to have his name, [it] brings up an ethical dilemma.
“He was a sperm donor… he signed up to this agreement that would be anonymous.”
Liam added: “The feelings are complicated, that thing that I maybe wanted as a child, I don’t want or need anymore.’