22 Kids’ Sue and Noel Radford on being Britain's biggest family and incredible reason they plan to expand huge brood
26.02.2024 - 08:03
/ ok.co.uk
While Sue Radford could be forgiven for wanting to put her feet up once her 22 kids are all off her hands, the mother of the UK's largest family – stars of Channel 5's 22 Kids And Counting – has other ideas. Sue, who became a parent when she was just a young teenager, has revealed she would actually love to extend her brood and adopt. “We adore being surrounded by kids so I’d love to adopt or foster.
We’re not having any more of our own so it’s definitely something we’d think about when ours are older.” With another child about to leave the family's 10-bedroom home in Morecambe, the matriarch admits the family dynamic is changing. “When they started to move out it was hard as a mum and strange not to have them all together. I dread the thought of an empty nest but know it will happen one day.
“But you can’t hold your kids back - when you love them you have to let them live their dreams. Her and husband Noel’s own love story began 35 years ago when they met as teenagers in Kendal in the Lake District.
They married in 1992 when Sue was 17 and they were already parents to Chris, now 34. “Looking at the size of our brood you’d think there’s been no family planning whatsoever! “ laughs Sue.
‘We’re proud to be Britain's biggest family but we’d only planned on having about three. “We’re addicted to children but as addictions go, it’s not a bad one because it’s motivated by love. We have plenty to go round.” As well as Chris the couple share Sophie, 29, Chloe, 28, Jack, 26, Daniel, 24, Luke, 22, Millie, 22, Katie, 20, James, 19, Ellie, 18, Aimee, 17, Josh, 16, Max, 14, Tillie, 13, Oscar, 11, Casper, 10, Hallie, eight, Phoebe, seven, Archie, six, Bonnie, four, and Heidie, three.