Adrian Dunbar and Neil Morrissey have been best of pals for 42 years since they met at Drama School. According to Neil, he got Adrian his job as Ted Hastings in Line of Duty.
Neil says: "I mean I hate to tell you this but I got him the job. I was auditioning for this thing, Line of Duty and I was up for Nigel Morton and the lines opposite was an interview with Ted Hastings and I said to the Director, who's playing Ted Hastings and they went, 'We haven't cast it yet' and I went, have you thought of Adrian Dunbar?"
Adrian goes on to say: "He does claim that if it wasn't for him, which I'm absolutely fine with claiming that."
On their DNA journey the friends travel to Castlecomer in southern Ireland, where Neil discovers the battles between his ancestors the Loughlins, with another infamous local family, the Brennan’s. How in a romance that echoes Romeo and Juliet – a Loughlin girl and a Brennan boy married, moved to England and had a son, Joe.
Following the tragic turns and eventual highs of cousin Joe’s life, Neil finds himself having pavlova with priests and clutching Joe’s bible - his first tangible connection with a relative’s life.
DNA Journey, Tuesday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX