Parents of 22 kids open up about their sex life with an awkward confession

Britain's largest family was recently fined for a $70,000 Disney World trip

Parenting 22 children is akin to a full-time job, and for Sue and Noel Radford, it essentially is.

Managing a lively household, filming their popular Channel 5 series 22 Kids and Counting, and engaging with their vast online audience leaves little room for personal time.

The Radfords, residing in a 10-bedroom house in Morecambe, Lancashire, have been in the spotlight for over ten years. This has included both positive and negative attention, such as when they were taken to court over a $70,000 Disney trip and fined over $1,000 for removing their children from school during term time.

They first gained fame in 2012, endearing the public with their hectic yet affectionate family life.

Sue, now 50, had her first child, Chris, at 13, and her youngest was born in 2020, an impressive 31 years later.

Between school runs, preparing meals for what is essentially a small army, and occasional TV appearances, finding downtime is a challenge.

Sue and Noel Radford dismiss questions about intimacy amidst the chaos of family life (Instagram/theradfordfamily)

In fact, the family's hectic schedule is so overwhelming that Sue and Noel recently shared with fans just how challenging it is to find a moment alone, accompanied by a somewhat awkward confession.

While filming their latest series, Sue began working on her upcoming memoir about the family's journey. In one scene, their ghostwriter Paddy posed a slightly cheeky question: “Is your sex life today the same as it ever was?”

Without hesitation, Sue laughed and confessed: “I think we prefer sleep now, don’t we?” Noel quickly agreed, simply responding with ‘Yeah’. Paddy couldn’t resist joking: “That’s a great story right there.”

Despite the constant demands of their large family, Sue and Noel continue to find humor in the realities of married life after three decades and 22 children together.

The Radfords' juggling of parenting 22 kids comes down to a mix of humor, love, and exhaustion (Instagram/theradfordfamily)

The Radfords are continuing to juggle the everyday chaos of parenting.

In a recent episode of 22 Kids and Counting, Noel revealed how he keeps things running smoothly during the school holidays. He explained: “To get the kids to help, I just come up with a little plan…make it a game, and they all jump in.”

In one scene, he challenged the kids to see who could load the dishwasher fastest. Among those who took part, five-year-old Heidie proudly claimed she’d collected ‘seven million’ items, prompting Noel to laugh and say: “Looks like Heidie’s our clear winner!”