Madeleine McCann went missing 18 years ago during a family holiday in Portugal. Her family have never stopped searching for their daughter and have tried to carry on with their lives, including siblings, Sean and Amelie

Gerry and Kate McCann with twins Amelie and Sean in 2007(Image: Getty Images)

It’s been 18 years since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and her family have tried their best to continue with their lives, despite the heartwrenching loss and uncertainty. Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have never stopped looking for their daughter, who would now be 21, while her siblings have shared a special promise to their older sister.

At the age of three, Madeleine went missing on Thursday, 3 May 2007, after her parents left her sleeping in the bedroom with her two-year-old twin siblings during a family holiday in Portugal. The parents regularly returned to the flat to check on their three children, but at about 10pm Kate went to their bedroom to find that Madeleine had vanished, while her brother and sister were sleeping nearby. The police were promptly notified, sparking a global search for the toddler, who has still not been located.

Her parents, Gerry and Kate, and sibling twins, Sean and Amelie, have strived to go on with their lives, despite enduring unspeakable hardships. The family are based in Rothley, Leicestershire, with Kate returning to her role as a doctor and Gerry working as a research professor in experimental medicine and a professor of cardiac imaging at the University of Leicester.

Three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished on May 3 2007 while on holiday with her parents in Praia da Luz, Portugal(Image: PA)

As for the twins, who are now 20 years old, Kate shared how they have tried to move on with their lives. She said: “They have their own friends and they keep busy and they’re really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five.

“As a family 98 per cent of the time we’re busy. I don’t know if that’s a conscious thing but it helps. The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn’t changed at all.” We’ve taken a look at where Madeleine’s siblings are now…

Olympic swimmer

Madeleine’s brother Sean has emerged as a promising swimmer, with expectations of him making a splash for Team GB at the Los Angeles Olympics come 2028. Earlier this year, he made headlines after winning a gold medal during a Mediterranean open water swimming event.

Sean’s dedication to swimming spans nearly 10 years, including pre-dawn plunges since age 11 and thrice weekly gym sessions to boost his performance. His sights are said to be firmly set on representing Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Sean McCann is an accomplished swimmer(Image: Facebook)

Penning his own journey on a local website, Sean detailed his climbing the ranks from joining City of Leicester Swimming Club to clinching “multiple county titles” and securing champion status regionally and nationally in his age group.

He wrote: “At the age of 10, I was selected to swim at City of Leicester, and I have since gone on to win multiple county titles, as well as becoming regional and national champion in my age group.

“In order to have achieved this, I have had to remain extremely dedicated, getting up at 4am multiple mornings each week to train.”

Sean represented Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023, making it to the 400 and 1500m Freestyle finals. He’s also recognised as an avid Open Water swimmer, being a part of Scotland’s National Open Water Development Squad.

University

Sean boasts a raft of other notable accolades, balancing athletic prowess with academic success, as he pursues a degree in chemical engineering at university. In the meantime, his twin sister Amelie has her own sporting accolades, having participated in a series of cross-country and triathlon events whilst studying at a university in the north of England.

Madeleine McCann (right) with her family on the day she went missing(Image: PA Wire/PA Photos)

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Their great-uncle, Brian Kennedy, shared with the Daily Mail that parents Kate and Gerry are delighted with Sean and Amelie’s successes. But the absence of their sister has inevitably cast a dark shadow over the lives of her and her brother.

During an interview with The Sun, Kate stated that Sean and Amelie have “grown up essentially without Madeleine but knowing their sister is missing and they want her back”.

Sibling promise

When Kate released her book in 2012, ‘Madeleine,’ she revealed that the twins had given her the strength to carry on. Her younger son Sean had promised, “When you’re old, me and Amelie will look for Madeleine.”

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Speaking to the Mirror, she also disclosed: “I was chatting to Amelie and she said, ‘Mummy’s sad because Madeleine is not here. But Amelie is here, and Amelie and Sean will always be here.’”.

Kate, speaking as an ambassador for the charity Missing People, mentioned the teen twins: “They have their own friends and they keep busy and they’re really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five.”

Kate and Gerry McCann have never stopped looking for their eldest daughter (Image: PA)

Sean represented Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023, making it to the 400 and 1500m Freestyle finals. He’s also recognised as an avid Open Water swimmer, being a part of Scotland’s National Open Water Development Squad.

University

Sean boasts a raft of other notable accolades, balancing athletic prowess with academic success, as he pursues a degree in chemical engineering at university. In the meantime, his twin sister Amelie has her own sporting accolades, having participated in a series of cross-country and triathlon events whilst studying at a university in the north of England.

Madeleine McCann (right) with her family on the day she went missing(Image: PA Wire/PA Photos)

Article continues below

Their great-uncle, Brian Kennedy, shared with the Daily Mail that parents Kate and Gerry are delighted with Sean and Amelie’s successes. But the absence of their sister has inevitably cast a dark shadow over the lives of her and her brother.

During an interview with The Sun, Kate stated that Sean and Amelie have “grown up essentially without Madeleine but knowing their sister is missing and they want her back”.

Sibling promise

When Kate released her book in 2012, ‘Madeleine,’ she revealed that the twins had given her the strength to carry on. Her younger son Sean had promised, “When you’re old, me and Amelie will look for Madeleine.”

Article continues below

Speaking to the Mirror, she also disclosed: “I was chatting to Amelie and she said, ‘Mummy’s sad because Madeleine is not here. But Amelie is here, and Amelie and Sean will always be here.’”.

Kate, speaking as an ambassador for the charity Missing People, mentioned the teen twins: “They have their own friends and they keep busy and they’re really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five.”

Kate and Gerry McCann have never stopped looking for their eldest daughter (Image: PA)