The series four finale of Sort Your Life Out left viewers in tears on Tuesday night as Stacey Solomon and her team helped declutter a family home full of memories.
The episode of the BBC One show featured Shirley and Martin who had raised their two daughters in their Surrey house – the same home that Martin grew up in.
With their grown up daughters moved out and with children of their own, Stacey Solomon and her team – Dilly Carter, Iwan Carrington and Rob Bent – got to work sorting through sixty years of memories.
After packing up the house and laying out all the family’s belongings in a huge warehouse it was revealed that they had 189 out of date food items, 124 towels and 306 soft toys among thousands of other belongings.
Viewers were full of praise for moving scenes as Shirley and Martin spoke about adopting their daughters Sarah and Katherine and their future plans to foster children in their home.
The series four finale of Sort Your Life Out left viewers in tears on Tuesday night as Stacey Solomon and her team helped declutter a family home full of memories
![Stacey Solomon and her team - Dilly Carter, Iwan Carrington and Rob Bent - got to work sorting through sixty years of memories](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/08/83183221-13266647-image-a-2_1712128732578.jpg)
Stacey Solomon and her team – Dilly Carter, Iwan Carrington and Rob Bent – got to work sorting through sixty years of memories
The couple revealed that after marrying 44 years ago they thought they would have children right away but realised ‘things weren’t happening.’
‘I don’t know to this day how we got through that time,’ Shirley admitted. They explained that the adoption process took eight years, before they were able to welcome first Sarah and then Katherine into their home.
Shirley explained that because it had taken so long to have their family she has been reluctant to part with any of their belongings and memories, explaining how she felt ‘so lucky’ to have her two children.
The couple also revealed to Stacey that they hope to foster children when they retire. Stacey related to the idea as she explained that her husband Joe Swash, whose own mother fostered, also has the same plans when their children have left home.
Home organising expert Dilly also shared her story on the emotional episode, explaining to Sarah and Katherine how she was adopted.
‘I know, for me, when I had my own child Nellie she was my first bloodline,’ Dilly said. ‘You think “you are the only person I’m related to.” I’ve got not one else in this country, no one else in my life.’
Katherine and Sarah both told Dilly that having such an open conversation with her about adoption had ‘healed’ a part of them. ‘Being in this process and owning it has been a really healing process for me,’ Sarah explained.
![Viewers were full of praise for moving scenes as Shirley and Martin spoke about adopting their daughters Sarah and Katherine and their future plans to foster children in their home](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/08/83183231-13266647-image-a-3_1712128738023.jpg)
Viewers were full of praise for moving scenes as Shirley and Martin spoke about adopting their daughters Sarah and Katherine and their future plans to foster children in their home
![After packing up the house and laying out all the family's belongings in a huge warehouse it was revealed that they had 189 out of date food items, 124 towels and 306 soft toys among thousands of other belongings](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/08/83183229-13266647-image-a-4_1712128744388.jpg)
After packing up the house and laying out all the family’s belongings in a huge warehouse it was revealed that they had 189 out of date food items, 124 towels and 306 soft toys among thousands of other belongings
![Home organising expert Dilly also shared her story on the emotional episode, explaining to Sarah and Katherine how she was adopted](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/08/83183225-13266647-image-a-6_1712128749326.jpg)
Home organising expert Dilly also shared her story on the emotional episode, explaining to Sarah and Katherine how she was adopted
‘I can’t have anymore children,’ Dilly went on. ‘So now I’m hopefully going to go full circle and adopt, myself.’
At the final reveal Stacey unveiled the transformation to the spare bedroom, revealing the team sought advice from experts as to how to make a welcoming space for foster children.
‘If we can just give back that little bit more to some children that are so desperate, it would just mean the world to us,’ Shirley told Stacey after seeing the room.
Daughter Katherine was also full of emotion as she thanked the team at the close of the episode, calling her parents ‘so deserving.’
‘They’ve given us life that we potentially would never have had and you’ve managed to make their home beautiful for them and we couldn’t have done that. So thank you.’
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![Viewers were left in tears at both the transformation of the home and the family's story, tweeting: 'What a LOVELY family! Each episode is joyful but this one has really got me'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/03/08/83183245-13266647-image-a-13_1712128765992.jpg)
Viewers were left in tears at both the transformation of the home and the family’s story, tweeting: ‘What a LOVELY family! Each episode is joyful but this one has really got me’
‘You are honestly just the most incredible family,’ Stacey told them. ‘And you deserve every happy memory.’
‘The feeling of bringing a family home back to the house that they deserve, never gets old,’ the presenter continued. ‘Every single time it just knocks me off my feet and makes me feel so grateful to be a part of all these families’ lives.’
Viewers were left in tears at both the transformation of the home and the family’s story, tweeting:
‘What a LOVELY family this week! Each episode is joyful but this one has really got me’; ‘Such a lovely lovely family and a brilliant #SortYourLifeOut how wonderful such a magical group of kindhearted, special, generous people looking after others on both sides’; ‘Just cried my way through #sortyourlifeout’; ‘Feelings were felt and was lovely to see adoption being spoken about so openly.’