Tom Grennan has revealed that he and actor Paul Mescal are distant cousins after their fathers discovered an unexpected family connection.
The singer shared the surprising story while chatting to Jimmy Hill on the Capital Evening Show, explaining how the discovery happened at an All-Ireland Hurling Final.
Tom admitted there were already some similarities between the pair, telling Jimmy: “We do kind of look quite similar.”
He went on to explain how a chance meeting between their fathers led to the family revelation, after Paul’s dad approached him at the sporting event.
Tom said: “I walked into the All-Ireland Hurling Final, right, and I walked in and his dad was like, ‘Is your dad here?’ I said, ‘Yeah, why?’ He’s like, ‘I need to speak to your dad.’”
Tom then went to find his father, who began chatting with Paul’s dad, before the unexpected connection came to light.
He continued: “These two Irish fellas having a chat and turns out they’re like long distant cousins or something like that!”
The revelation means Tom and Paul are also related, although neither appears to know exactly how close the family connection is.
When Jimmy suggested they could be something like five cousins removed, Tom joked that somebody would need to work out the family tree.
He added: “Apparently, we’ve got some sort of the same blood.”
Jimmy also asked whether Tom spends much time with the Normal People star, who has become one of Ireland’s best-known acting talents.
Tom revealed they have only met a handful of times but had a positive impression of his newly discovered relative.
He said: “I’ve only met him a few times but he’s a lovely guy.”
There could even be a family Christmas gathering in the future, with Tom revealing that his parents are planning a trip to Ireland over the festive period.
He joked: “My mum and dad are going to Ireland for Christmas so they might be at Paul’s for Christmas you never know!”
Although the exact family relationship remains something of a mystery, Tom’s revelation has certainly given the pair an unexpected connection beyond their Irish roots
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