Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Joan Wells, foster mother, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the audience at London's Royalty Theatre, having been led to believe she was there to watch a Christmas carol concert.

Joan, who was one of 13 children, was born and raised in Chester, and worked as a delivery van driver for a department store after leaving school. She married in 1952 and planned to start a family, but after learning that she was unable to have any children of her own, Joan and her husband Ron became foster parents.

Joan fostered more than 150 children over 27 years, and this Christmas Day edition sees Joan - unusually seated stage left - reunited with many of those children she fostered over the years.

"Oh how awful! Do all my family know this?"

programme details...

• Edition No: 558
• Subject No: 554
• Broadcast date: Thu 25 Dec 1980
• Broadcast time: 9.30-10pm
• Recorded: Wed 10 Dec 1980
• Venue: Royalty Theatre
• Series: 21
• Edition: 11
• Code name: Dee

on the guest list...

• Ron - husband
• Paul - adopted son
• Kirk - foster son
• Lance - foster son
• Adrian - foster son
• Gary - foster son
• Wayne - foster son
• Richard - foster son
• Lenny - foster son
• Pat Gallagher
• Gillian Gallagher
• Steven Gallagher
• Winnie - sister
• Les - brother
• Vera - sister
• Phyllis - sister
• Muriel - sister
• Paul - brother
• Francis - brother
• Michael - brother
• Angela - sister
• Mary - sister
• Jess - mother
• Sandra Hall
• Christine
• John Yousef
• Rebecca Griffith
• David Griffith
• John Gallagher
• Kathleen - sister
Filmed tribute:
• Sister Helen

production team...

• Researcher: Cathy Parnall
• Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
• Directors: Stuart Hall, Terry Yarwood
• Producer: Jack Crawshaw

A Charitable Life

the unsung heroes

The Audience

the applause, laughter and tears

Screenshots of Joan Wells This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Appropriately, it was Christmas 1980 when we surprised Joan Wells, described by Eamonn as 'someone who has given her heartfelt best all her life and has received no public thanks, nor does she expect any.'

Over a period of twenty-seven years this Chester housewife had opened the doors of her home to more than 150 foster children. Some orphaned, others from broken homes.

From all over the country they came for the Life reunion, including one young man who had spent his childhood shuttled from one home to another until he went to live with Joan and her husband Ron.

Reaching twenty-one, he went to see a solicitor to change his name legally to theirs, and became Paul Wells.