by Democrat reporter
TV host Lorraine Kelly has shared how she was touched by the “heartwarming debut” of Madeleine McCann’s younger brother, Sean, as he represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
The ITV broadcaster had been volunteering at the Glasgow 2026 games, stepping away from the TV studio to assist spectators and athletes in navigating the Scottish Events Campus.
She said: “I don’t know whether I’ve been a help or a hindrance, frankly, but I’ve loved it. I’ve loved every minute of it. What I thought was a really heartwarming story was Madeleine McCann’s little brother, who was here; his parents were there supporting him.
“It was lovely to see them as a family, and the headline was not to be about the sad tragedy; it was about life going on and him doing so brilliantly. It’s wonderful.”
She added: “The volunteers are the very heart of it all, and it wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for them. They’re the face of it. As soon as you get here, the first person you see is somebody dressed like me with a foam finger and a big smile on their face. It’s just terrific.”
The 21-year-old is now setting his sights on securing a place at the 2028 LA Olympics, representing Team GB following his impressive showing at the scaled-back global tournament.
Sean was just two years old when his older sister disappeared while the McCann family were holidaying in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May, 3, 2007.
Maddy has not been seen since.
Madeleine McCann’s brother books place in Commonwealth Games swimming finalCurrently studying chemical engineering at Loughborough University in Leicester, Sean previously represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023, competing in the 400m and 1500m freestyle events.
He first took to the pool competitively at the age of eight.