Actor Vauxhall Jermaine appeals for help to find 1980s foster mother

  • Published
Vauxhall JermaineImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Vauxhall Jermaine's appeal has been retweeted thousands of times

An actor is appealing for the public's help to find a woman who fostered him in the 1980s.

Vauxhall Jermaine posted a tweet searching for a woman called Terri Sleightholme, who lived in Bobbers Mill, Nottingham.

Mr Jermaine was inspired to use social media after a former child refugee traced a stranger through Twitter who bought her a bike when she was five.

Nottingham City Council said it had no details of the carer in their records.

'So amazing'

Mr Jermaine's tweet, which was posted on Wednesday, has been retweeted thousands of times.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post by Vauxhall Jermaine

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post by Vauxhall Jermaine

Mr Jermaine - who has appeared in the James Corden animation of Peter Rabbit, TV mini-series This is England '90 and, more recently, Channel 4 show The Virtues - said he had contacted Nottingham social services previously to try to find her - but has not succeeded.

He said: "Throughout the years I would remember her. What I remember is she made me feel really welcome.

"It was the closest thing I had experienced to mother-son love.

"She obviously had a major impact on me. She is my earliest memory."

Vauxhall JermaineImage source, Charmaine Grant
Image caption,

Jermaine said the foster mother is his "earliest memory"

Mr Jermaine said his file stated he lived with five or six other families but Ms Sleightholme is the only one he can remember.

"It is kind of vague," he said. "I just remember growing up and every time I thought about her, the feeling was genuinely a warm feeling."

Mr Jermaine said his latest appeal was sparked while he was filming The Virtues.

"I ended up working on a TV drama [about] aspects of living in a care home," he said. "Since the show came out it has been on my mind. I thought now would be a good time to try again.

"It would be so amazing if I got to meet her."

line break

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, external, on Twitter, external, or on Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk, external.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.