Foundling | Tortoise Investigates

Episode 2: Under One Roof

Host: The Observer (Lucy Greenwell)
Date: March 31, 2026

Overview

This deeply personal investigative episode follows Jess, who was abandoned as a baby in 1987, and reporter Lucy Greenwell as they try to unravel the truth behind Jess’s origins. The episode centers on Jess’s growing conviction that the woman who “found” her as a newborn—Jennifer, a nanny in rural Suffolk—was in fact her birth mother. Lucy and Jess track down witnesses, revisit the house where Jennifer worked, and explore how such a secret could have been kept for decades. The episode delves into feelings of abandonment, the impact of DNA technology, and the tangled consequences of long-held secrets.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Search for Truth: Revisiting Old Suspicions

• Jess’s Facebook Message to the Nanny (Jennifer)

  • After decades, Jess messages Jennifer to thank her for finding her—and quietly probes deeper due to rumors circulating in the village.
  • “A lot of people in the village still think you have something to do with it for some reason. And that's when the messages turned from being quite pleasant... to a little bit more defensive and sour.” (Jess, 03:30)
  • Jennifer is defensive and insists, “I can assure you, if I knew more, I would tell you.” Jess, however, remains unconvinced.

• Impact of the Conversation

  • Jess is unsettled by Jennifer’s defensiveness, feeling there is still something to uncover. Despite the discouraging exchange, she doesn’t stop searching.
  • “No, because I just didn't believe her... there has to be someone that knows something.” (Jess, 04:50)

The Weight of Abandonment

• Motherhood Reawakens Old Wounds

  • The birth of Jess’s own child stirs up unresolved trauma.
  • Jess wonders if she’s "inherited an instinct to abandon," battling postnatal depression and intense self-doubt.
  • “I convinced myself I'm as bad as her… Did she feel like this? Did she have this disconnect right from word go?” (Jess, 07:11)

• Prevalence and History of Abandoned Babies

  • Lucy provides historical context, noting that abandonment was once common, but is now rare in the UK (now typically zero or one a year).
  • The “foundling” mythos is tied into classic stories (Moses, Mowgli, Oliver Twist), but real-world foundlings are often unsolvable mysteries—until the advent of DNA testing.

Modern Tools, Old Mysteries: DNA and Breakthroughs

• DNA Testing Changes the Game

  • With companies like 23andMe (launching DNA Relative matching in 2010), the barriers to identifying family members drastically shift.
  • Jess is initially hesitant but is eventually persuaded by her sister Laura, after a breakthrough message.

• A Game-Changing Message

  • Laura receives a message from Sam, who is the brother of Jennifer. He reveals his long-held suspicion:
  • “He says he's always suspected that his sister didn't just find the baby. All along, he's had a hunch that it was her baby.” (Lucy, 12:25)

• Jess’s Revelation

  • Jess’s DNA results return; she instantly spots a relative with Jennifer’s uncommon surname. Coupled with rumors and Sam’s message, it leaves Jess in little doubt.
  • “Someone with the same surname as the nanny that had found me. Well, there is the same surname. So come on, this can't just be a coincidence.” (Jess, 14:42)
  • Lucy confirms the genealogical match independently.

• The Emotional Fallout

  • Jess is devastated by Jennifer’s previous denial:
  • “She's bareface lied. What was this? Nine years later… she had nothing to do with it.” (Jess, 16:14)
  • Lucy reflects:
  • “I've thought a lot about Jennifer and to me this lie was just the latest in what must have been countless untruths woven together in order to secure this secret over decades.” (Lucy, 16:35)

Reconstructing the Past: Revisiting Jennifer’s Life

• Visiting the House in Suffolk

  • Jess, Lucy, and the production team visit the house where Jennifer worked as a nanny. Jess meets Selena (the mother of the family Jennifer nannied for) and her daughter Gussie.
  • The episode paints a vivid scene of the lived-in, slightly shabby but beautiful house.

• How Could the Secret Remain Hidden?

  • Detailed exploration of Jennifer’s living quarters, routines, and relationships in 1987.
  • The birth may have occurred while Jennifer was alone with the younger children; household routines and Jennifer’s reserved nature helped her conceal the pregnancy.

• No One Suspected a Thing

  • Selena insists she saw no signs of pregnancy, partly because she was convinced it “couldn’t have been hers.”
  • “No, because I knew nothing about it. I didn't sort of even analyze it.” (Selena, 33:26)
  • “Unless she had somebody with her, how could she have cleared up all the mess and been so together?” (Selena, 34:51)

Memories, Misgivings, and Unanswered Questions

• Other Witnesses: Catherine’s Perspective

  • Catherine, a fellow nanny, describes Jennifer as thoughtful and kind, but also recalls moments that, in retrospect, seem strange—like Jennifer wearing baggy dungarees and avoiding conversation about her changing body.
  • “She had these dungarees that she wore almost all the time.” (Catherine, 39:10)
  • Years later, Catherine learns Jennifer confided to a boyfriend about giving up a baby for adoption.

• Jess’s Reluctance to Meet Jennifer

  • Despite knowing the truth, Jess feels too raw to confront Jennifer directly. Trust is broken.
  • “And if I met her, it would make it too real and I think that would break my heart.” (Jess, 43:26)
  • Lucy writes to Jennifer instead, explaining the investigation, and waits for a response.

Final Twist: DNA, TV, and Another Secret

• A New DNA Match and a Shocking Phone Call
  • Jess’s DNA results reveal another, unnamed close family connection.
  • She is contacted by a researcher from ITV’s Long Lost Family, who reveals Jess has matched with one of their clients—hinting at yet another layer to her story.
  • “No words can express when you think that someone has dumped you on the side of a road, that they'd then go and do it again.” (Jess, 46:58, preview for next episode)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the realisation and hurt:
  • “She's bareface lied.” – Jess (16:14)
  • “For Jess, it's simple. Her birth mother is the villain in this story. She's a woman who abandoned a baby and then lied about it.” – Lucy (16:35)
• On the concealment of the pregnancy:
  • “She had these dungarees that she wore almost all the time.” – Catherine (39:10)
  • “No, because I knew nothing about it. I didn't sort of even analyze it.” – Selena (33:26)
• On the difficulty of searching for origins:
  • “And if I met her, it would make it too real and I think that would break my heart.” – Jess (43:26)
• On the enduring impact of abandonment:
  • “If you're a foundling, you've suffered the ultimate rejection right at the start of your life. Jess says that this just keeps on reverberating, this sense of being unwanted.” – Lucy (42:48)

Important Timestamps

• [02:09] Jess messages Jennifer, the nanny who found her
• [06:39] Jess’s own motherhood stirs up feelings about her abandonment
• [11:02] Laura urges Jess to do a DNA test
• [12:25] Sam (the nanny’s brother) suspects his sister is actually Jess's birth mother
• [14:42] DNA results confirm a familial link to Jennifer
• [18:48-23:22] Jess and Lucy visit the Suffolk house; meet Selena and Gussie
• [26:38-30:15] Reconstructing the events and Jennifer’s possible hiding place for the pregnancy and birth
• [33:26] Selena denies noticing any signs of Jennifer’s pregnancy
• [36:21] Catherine describes Jennifer, their friendship, and her habits
• [41:02] Catherine recalls Jennifer possibly arriving in Suffolk already pregnant
• [43:26] Jess explains why she can’t bring herself to meet Jennifer
• [45:31] Jess’s DNA leads to a mysterious close match and contact from Long Lost Family

Flow & Tone

The tone is deeply empathetic, investigative, and often raw—balancing journalistic rigor with personal stakes. Lucy’s narration alternates between fact-finding and sensitive, emotional inquiry. Jess is open, sometimes wounded, sometimes wryly humorous, exposing the complexity of confronting her past. The episode reflects both the seeming ordinariness and incredible oddity of the central mystery, always foregrounding Jess’s lived reality.

For Next Time

The episode closes with the revelation that another DNA match—connected to an ITV show—hints that Jess might not have been the only child Jennifer abandoned. “No words can express when you think that someone has dumped you on the side of a road, that they'd then go and do it again.” (Jess, 46:58)

This episode combines poignant personal testimony with methodical investigative reporting, unspooling the human consequences of secrets kept—sometimes for a lifetime—and the powerful role of technology in uncovering hidden pasts.