Couple defend having 22 kids amid being taken to court over $70,000 Disney vacation
The father of the UK's largest family has defended the age he and his wife had their first child.
Noel and Sue Radford, known as Britain's largest family, have a staggering 22 kids, and have been married for over 30 years.
They have even had their own TV show in the UK, 22 Kids & Counting, while a book on their hectic family life was also released earlier this year.
In The Radfords: Making Life Count, Noel addressed comments about the ages they were when they had their first child.
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Sue was pregnant at age 13, and Noel was 17 years old when he learned he was going to become a father.
"People have inevitably talked about the situation and it has been written about in the newspapers and discussed on social media," Noel wrote in the book.
"There has been a lot of focus on it and, in a way, it was probably worse for us than when it actually happened. So many people have given their opinions.
"But we were both kids it was not as if I was 10 or 15 years older than Sue."
The father of 22 continued: "For a lot of people, though, things are just black and white and you are tarnished with the same brush as other people in totally different situations.
"We were young and we were daft. But we wanted to continue as a couple."
Noel and Sue have been in a bit of trouble recently after taking their children, and even some of their grandchildren, to Disney World in Florida.
The couple were found guilty of failing to ensure regular school attendance for four of their children between March 24 and May 1, 2025.
They were each fined $88 per child, along with $160 court costs, adding $1,024 to the total Florida trip costs.
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "Ensuring young people receive a good education and have a good start in life is one of our key priorities. Evidence shows that attainment is linked to attendance, so supporting our schools with this issue is important.
“The decision to authorize absence or not rests with the headteacher of the particular school and Penalty Notices are an enforcement option that are available to local authorities, if requested by schools. It is the court that determines whether a fine should be issued.
“The laws on attendance are very clear and there are some legitimate reasons why pupils can't always go to school.
“We always encourage schools to work closely with parents to reduce unauthorized absences and our aim is to ensure that children and young people attend school and receive a good education."
Callum Jones