Thomson was born Patrick McAleer to an unmarried Northern Irish mother in Salford, England. She placed him for adoption and returned to Ulster, and he was adopted as a baby by Andrew and Marita Thomson. He grew up near Preston, Lancashire and was very happy with his family.

He was never secretive about his adoption, but he did not want to trace his birth family. However one of the British gutter press newspapers took it upon themselves to do this in 2003, and published the results without his consent, which greatly upset him and his family.

He is best known as a comic actor, in the British television series The Fast Show, Cold Feet, Dog Eat Dog and Born Romantic.

References

BBC Northern Ireland. "Patrick Kielty Almost Live: Guest Profiles." [Includes portrait]. Available at: http://www.baaf.org.uk/pages/news/release04_10_01.htm
"Adoption in the Media," Adoption Today, issue 111 (August 2003), p. 20, quoting The Observer [London], 11 May 2003

Indexes

European
Uk/great Britain
20th Century
21st Century
Theater, Broadcasting, Cinema
Formal, American/European-Type Adoption
Birth or Infancy
Unmarried Mother, Single Parent (Mother or Father) Unable to Cope
Others ("Strangers")
Unmarried Mother
Media Traced Adoptee/Fosteree or Birth Family Without Permission
Adoptee/Fosteree Not Interested in Tracing