A man who had grown up not knowing who his father was had the answer right under his nose for ten years.

Stephen, 27, was told by a family friend when he was 17 that his next door neighbour and his close friend David could be his father.

After waiting for a decade, Stephen finally found out the truth after a DNA test on The Jeremy Kyle Show confirmed the news.

Stephen admitted that the possibility of David being his biological father had 'messed with head' after his mother told him it was rubbish. She had, however, had a dalliance with David when they were younger and fallen pregnant with Stephen - but kept David's son from him.

Stephen, 27, left, was told by a family friend when he was 17 that his next door neighbour and his close friend David, right, could be his father. He decided to find out once and for all by taking a DNA test on the Jeremy Kyle show

'I just wanted to know the truth. I was friends with the family. I was friends with his son,' Stephen told host Jeremy.

The pair grew close as adults and Stephen told the show's team how happy he would be if they were related: 'It would mean the world to me, he is my best mate.'

David defended himself when Jeremy queried why he had not tried to find out the truth sooner after hearing the rumours.

'I wasn’t 100 per cent sure, until he was about 17.'

The pair grew close as adults and Stephen told the show's team how happy he would be if they were related: 'It would mean the world to me, he is my best mate'. The men were proven to be father and son

Stephen's mother had a dalliance with David when they were younger and fallen pregnant with Stephen - but kept David's son from him

After finding out the truth, Stephen said to Jeremy: 'It means a hell of a lot'

The tattooed man told Jeremy that his dalliance with Stephen's mother was his 'first relationship' and he didn't know that she was pregnant when they split up.

He added: 'After she left, a couple of days after, she walked past my mum’s door and she was big.'

David agreed with Stephen that it would mean a lot if they were father and son but said they would still remain friends if not.

'It would be brilliant. But if not, we’ll carry on as we are.'

Jeremy then delivered the good news, telling the smiling bespectacled pair: 'Guess what? You’re sat next to your dad.'

David agreed with Stephen that it would mean a lot if they were father and son but said they would still remain friends if not. Luckily for the men, they were proven to be related

Jeremy was convinced from the start: 'You look like twins by the way, bar the grey beard,' he said

They both hugged as the audience could be heard cheering them on, Stephen saying Jeremy: 'It means a hell of a lot.'

And Jeremy was convinced from the start: 'You look like twins by the way, bar the grey beard.'

The Jeremy Kyle Show is on weekdays at 9.25am on ITV