The Wilkinses of Reading: Where Are They Now?

THE FAMILY documentary shown in 1974 broke new ground, revealing the Wilkins family of Reading in a way that no one had ever been seen on British television before.

In the 25 years since, the family has struggled to recover from the media frenzy that shattered their lives. Most have sought to regain their anonymity.

Margaret Wilkins, the fiery tempered mother, divorced her husband Terry three years after the programme was shown because of their inability to deal with his ill-health.

She was last heard of remarried to a builder and living in a caravan park near Reading.

Terry, who was usually seen cowering in the face of one of Margaret's onslaughts, has remarried and was living in Bournemouth where he was a caretaker.

Marion, their daughter, who was seen dragging her fiance Tom down the aisle, divorced him after seven years and is now on her third marriage. Tom is a removals man in Reading.

Gary, the son, stayed married to Karen for 12 years and they had four children. The marriage came to an end because of an infidelity and Gary was last heard of driving a bus. Karen remarried one of Gary's friends.

Heather, the next child down, shocked her parents when she said at 15 that she wanted to marry her West Indian boyfriend Melvin. They stayed engaged for two years and she has since had four children. She lives in London and works as a hairdresser.

Christopher, the youngest child, was the centre of many arguments when Margaret revealed that he wasn't Terry's child. He has since tried to dissociate himself from the documentary.