We've followed their lives for six decades; now the stars of 7 Up are bowing out

Six decades person passed since Jackie Bassett first appeared connected TV aged seven, skipping down the roadworthy pinch her small sister.

It was 1964 and she had been selected by teachers astatine her eastbound London superior schoolhouse to look successful a documentary called 7 Up.

The show interviewed 14 seven-year-olds from vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds. Inspired by the Jesuit saying: "Give maine the kid until he is 7 and I will show you the man", it was intended arsenic a one-off - a snapshot of Britain's people strategy and really it shapes america from a young age.

"They only picked maine because I ne'er stopped talking," Jackie told the BBC, pinch an infectious giggle that hasn't changed since childhood.

Little did she cognize then, but Jackie was being filmed for a show that would spell connected to beryllium the longest-running documentary bid ever made. In 2024, it was voted the astir influential TV show of the past 50 years.

Now the curtain is falling, pinch the last instalment - 70 Up - airing connected ITV this Tuesday.

"We didn't really cognize what we were doing, we had nary thought what was happening," Jackie said of the time the Granada TV unit turned up astatine her school.

In the first episode, Jackie appeared alongside her friends, Lynn and Sue, arsenic they were asked questions astir boys astatine schoolhouse and their hopes for the future. Jackie said she would for illustration to wed a boy "that's not sewage a batch of money, but has sewage immoderate money".

The federation was besides introduced to the likes of wide-eyed Neil, who explained his plans to go either an astronaut aliases a coach driver; anxious Paul, who ruminated connected the thought of 1 time marrying a female who made him eat his greens; and pensive Bruce, who said his "heart's desire is to spot my daddy who is 6,000 miles away" successful Rhodesia.

The first section was directed by Canadian Paul Almond, pinch the thief of a young interrogator named Michael Apted, who was progressive successful selecting the children.

Apted past decided to travel up connected the children 7 years later.

"The worldly was dreadful – arsenic teenagers, they wouldn't opportunity anything," he later said of the 2nd episode, 7 Plus Seven.

"Yet we started to realise the powerfulness of the idea; contempt the movie not being very good, everyone was willing successful it."

Apted went connected to go a large sanction successful Hollywood, directing blockbusters including James Bond's The World Is Not Enough, but he ever returned to the show and said it was his astir important achievement.

Every 7 years, millions would tune successful for updates connected the cast's lives. Neil's dreamy outlook connected the world arsenic a kid descended into battles pinch depression, isolation and homelessness, only to move up arsenic a Liberal Democrat councillor astatine 42 and past a laic preacher 7 years later.

Jackie initially said she did not want children, but by 42 Up was an adoring mother to 3 boys.

As the bid grew successful popularity, Apted started receiving push-back from immoderate of the participants, who felt they had been typecast based connected their backgrounds.

At 21, Apted asked Jackie - who had precocious sewage joined - whether she had met "enough men" earlier she decided to marry. For the remainder of the interview, she mostly looked to the level while Sue and Lynn answered questions.

It took her 18 years to afloat face Apted complete his questioning.

In 49 Up, she told him: "I was really angry… you wouldn't person asked immoderate of the different group successful this programme that question. You will edit this programme arsenic you spot fit, I've sewage nary power complete that."

Recalling the tense exchange, Jackie said she felt Apted could beryllium retired of touch, peculiarly complete the changing roles of women successful society.

"I deliberation he still thought we were each successful the kitchen, arsenic I mentioned to him astatine 21. I conscionable thought, 'No, travel on, it's astir clip 1 of america called you retired connected it, because he ne'er never asked america questions astir politics. It was astir ever domestic," she said.

Jackie was not the only formed personnel to conflict pinch Apted.

John Brisby, who became a starring barrister, declared successful 35 Up that the show felt for illustration a "little pill of poison" injected into his veins each 7 years and he wished his headmaster had ne'er put him up for the show. He appeared successful later bid but refused to beryllium interviewed by Apted.

And Charles Furneaux, who later worked astatine the BBC earlier becoming commissioning editor astatine Channel 4, refused to look aft 21 Up pursuing an off-camera statement successful which Apted later admitted he went "berserk".

Apted acknowledged flaws pinch the show, saying it was a "horrible error" to person only 4 women successful a formed of 14 erstwhile making the original selection.

Five years ago, Apted passed away, aged 79.

The effect he had connected the formed is clear successful the last episode.

Despite their differences, Jackie maintains heavy affection and respect for the man she said "opened up a world to maine that I would ne'er person known".

"I've ever said it's a spot for illustration having an uncle successful the family. Sometimes you emotion him and cuddle him to death, and different times you think: I wish he'd conscionable spell away.

"He would always, ever thief anybody and anything."

Nick Hitchon died from crab successful 2023, becoming the 2nd personnel of the formed to walk distant aft Lynn Johnson 10 years earlier.

Nick, who was calved connected a workplace successful the Yorkshire Dales and famously said he wanted to "find retired astir the satellite and each that" successful 7 Up, went connected to go a intelligence and professor astatine the University of Wisconsin.

In his obituary, his relative Andrew wrote Nick "was an master successful atomic fusion who yet accepted that he would ever beryllium champion known for appearing successful a ground-breaking TV documentary alternatively than arsenic a scientist".

After Apted's death, it was unclear whether 70 Up would happen.

But it was announced earlier this twelvemonth that Asif Kapadia, champion known for his documentaries connected Amy Winehouse and Diego Maradona, would nonstop the last chapter.

Jackie said she felt apprehensive astir having anyone different than Apted successful charge, but said Kapadia made her consciousness instantly astatine ease. She moreover welcomed a caller approach, saying his interviews felt much for illustration a conversation, while Apted would often time off long, awkward pauses erstwhile she had vanished her answer.

In the last episode, Jackie appears the astir contented she has been since the property of seven. She attributes this newfound bid to precocious moving to Norfolk, from Scotland, wherever she had been since her thirties. She loves being a mother and grandmother, but said she "needed clip for me".

"I person that bid astir me," she said.

And does this section really people the end?

"I'm not judge immoderate of america will person the power for it, to beryllium honest," Jackie said. "I deliberation this is the correct clip to stop, I really do.

"Seventy has sewage a symmetry to it," she said. "We started astatine seven, we vanished astatine 70 - and that's it."

Despite each the plaudits, Jackie has ever been somewhat perplexed arsenic to why the show has made specified an impact, but understands really watching their journeys has helped immoderate group make consciousness of their own.

The bid started retired being astir people but "then they abruptly thought, bent connected a minute, this is astir life", she said.

"There's personification connected that programme that conscionable astir everybody tin subordinate with. And I deliberation that is thing that will outlast each of us."