Former UTV presenter Gloria Hunniford's DNA journey reveals family tie to comedian Tom Allen

Comedian Tom Allen has discovered he is related to presenter Gloria Hunniford.

The Apprentice: You're Fired host was introduced to the Loose Women star, 82, as part of the ITV series DNA Journey.

In scenes from the episode, which airs on Thursday, he finds out they are cousins through his mothers' maternal line.

Allen, 39, also jokes that Hunniford is "disappointed" that fellow comedian Joel Dommett, who is also tracing his heritage on the show, was not in fact her cousin.

Hunniford said she "loved both of them" and was "so shocked" at the news as she embraced the pair.

Before meeting his presenter relation, Allen, who is a regular contributor on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, said: "I'm so nervous...It's really intimidating the whole thing.

"What if they're slightly irritated by me? It's exciting. I can't rest."

The episode also saw host of The Masked Singer UK Dommett, 37, and Allen trace their past from London to Edinburgh and Ireland during the show.

Allen, whose father recently died, discovers the story of how his great grandparents had a criminal past and a career on stage, as well as his grandmother being put up for adoption.

While Dommett gets to know about an ancestor who made inventions that saved thousands of lives and may have helped end the First World War.

DNA Journey airs on Thursday on UTV at 9pm.

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