WHEN Louise Woodfield settled down in front of the telly, she could not have imaged that watching an episode of First Dates would lead her to her long lost sister.
The 24-year-old — who had never seen the Channel 4 show — had it playing in the background as she chatted to a pal and was barely paying attention to the singletons on screen.
But her ears pricked up when Birmingham hair stylist Katie Kumar — who was looking for love on the teen version of the programme — told her potential suitor she was adopted.
Having been taken into care as a child herself, Louise — who lived in the same city — immediately tuned in and was stunned to find that Katie’s story sounded familiar.
She listened in disbelief as the stranger on screen discussed with her fella whether she got her tanned complexion from her mum.
‘No awkward phase’
Katie — who was 17 at the time and admits she spoke about her “interesting” childhood to boost her chances of getting on air — told him: “My mum was white and my dad was from Afghanistan.
“I was three when I got adopted.”
In a separate clip, she described the process of being fostered as a child and finding love and support with the family she has now.
An incredulous Louise — who had also discovered she had Afghan heritage — suddenly realised the woman before her could be the little sister she had never met.
She told The Sun: “I was watching on the TV.
“We hadn’t really thought about it, our birth families, but I knew I had a sister that was two years younger, so the age matched.
“I knew her name, and the name matched.
“When I was 18, I did an ancestry DNA test and found that I was half Afghan.
“She said that on the show as well, so it matched up.
“I turned to my friend and said, ‘I might sound crazy, but I think that’s my sister’.
“She was laughing at me.”
But beautician Louise could not shake the feeling that this was the sibling she had never known.
As youngsters, the girls did not meet but exchanged letters which stopped before they were even in their teens.
Louise said: “I thought, ‘I’m going to reach out and if it’s not, it’s not.
“I just thought there’s nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
“I think while I was watching it I had that gut feeling.
“Deep down, I knew.”
The following day, Louise picked up her phone, found Katie, now 22, on Facebook and typed out a message.
“Hello love”, she wrote.
“I know this is so random but I won’t forgive myself if I don’t find out the answer.
“Basically I seen you on First Dates and you said you was adopted.
“Well so am I and I know I have a sister a few years younger than me.
“She would be your age and her name’s Katie too and I’m from Birmingham too.
“Also my birth mum was white and my dad is Afghan too.
“I know you’re probably not my sister and you probably won’t even answer this message but it’s worth asking because what are the chances.”
“My birth mum is called Carol.”
Katie was in her bedroom listening to her phone pinging incessantly as fans of the show got in touch when Louise’s message dropped.
She immediately dashed downstairs to share the news with her adoptive mum, Sarah Kumar, 54, who confirmed the contact could be genuine.
Katie said: “My phone was blowing up.
“When I saw the message, I was like, ‘That’s not real. Surely not’.
“I ran downstairs and said, ‘This girl’s claiming to be my sister’.
“Mum was like, ‘Yeah, that’s Louise’. I couldn’t believe it.”
Katie — who entered foster care at six months old — responded to Louise’s message, saying: “We are sisters?!
“My mum was called Carol too?! X no this is crazy??? I am actually speechless xx”
Explaining how the siblings had never met before, she said: “We’re strangers — we haven’t grown up together.
“I have actually got multiple sisters and brothers.
“I’ve always been curious, but never really knew where to start looking.
“I am still curious to find them.”
A few days after exchanging their first messages, Louise pulled up outside Katie’s house to meet her for the first time.
She said: “When I found out we were sisters, it was only a couple of days after I came to her house.
“It was so lovely.
“On the way, I was really nervous.
“But as soon as I pulled up and I came into the house, I felt like we hadn’t even been away from each other.
“There was no awkward phase.
“We just said, ‘hi’ and gave each other a hug.
“We were talking about how we were adopted and stuff.
“And we were just talking about what we do and our interests.
“We both like taking pictures, shopping, we have the same music taste.
“It’s so nice.
“It’s like we do have our own families, but when I come round to Katie’s family, it feels like I’m at home.
“My family treats Katie like their own. It’s like extended family.”
It also emerged the unsuspecting sisters had been living just 30 minutes apart on opposite sides of Birmingham.
But now they are in contact, they have enjoyed delving into a collection of documents and memories from childhood together to learn more about each other.
Katie said: “When I went round to her house, she got her birth box out.
“It was really nice.
“Hers had old outfits that our mum had given her, pictures, letters.
“Louise had a different upbringing.
“I was in Brownies, cheerleading.
“She didn’t have that.
“We are quite different in a way, but very similar at the same time.”
Katie’s adoptive mum, Sarah, who works in adult social care, recalled the incredible moment Louise got in touch.
She said: “Katie said, ‘This girl’s messaged me and she thinks she’s my sister’.
“Her birth mum’s name was the same name, so I said, ‘That will be your sister’.
“I was a little apprehensive.
“She knew she had siblings, nothing was hidden from her.
“But once Louise had got in touch, and when she met Louise, there was definitely a connection and a missing link.”
She went on: “Louise is part of our family and Katie is part of their family.
“With any parent, you want the best for your children and you want to protect your children.
“It’s always a worry that maybe things aren’t going to be as rosy as potentially they could be.
“It was Katie’s decision whether she met Louise, and whatever was good for Katie is always going to be good for me.
“It’s worked out really beautifully.
“Louise is a lovely girl, it’s been great.”
The siblings have loved getting to know one another since First Dates sparked their reunion in 2021.
Katie said of Louise: “She has become my best friend.
“It was weird at first, but we have come so close now.
“Louise and I have such a good bond, it’s like we have known each other forever.”
Louise added: “It’s so crazy.
“I feel like it was meant to be.”
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