Father of 22 Noel Radford has a ‘midlife crisis’ which causes a row with his wife Sue
NOEL Radford, the patriarch of Britain’s biggest generation, has thrown the family into crisis after he wanted to swap Britain for Australia.
The 53-year-old lamented missing out on his lifelong dream of becoming a truck driver in sunny Australia in the latest episode of 22 Kids & Counting.
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In the episode, which fans of the group can watch next Sunday at 8pm on Channel 5, the cake maker went on a hike with other parents of a similar age.
But unlike busy couple Sue and Noel, their peers had already had their children leave home, giving them all the time in the world.
Sadly, this is not the case for Noel, who admitted that for them, “it’s always been work and family, that’s all.”
The father, whose family lives in a sprawling 10-bedroom mansion, admitted he feels like his wings have been clipped.
read more about the radfords
”When I see my mates enjoying themselves, it’s a real wake-up call. If I wait until all my kids are out of the house, I’ll just be too old to do the things I want to do.
“It sounds selfish, doesn’t it? But hey, maybe I should find some time for myself.”
After a heart-to-heart with Sue, 49, Noel announced he was quitting his baking guru job and would work just two days a week, leaving his children, Chloe and Luke, in charge.
But Sue wasn’t just worried about handing over the bakery to the children. She felt there would be another ‘conflict’.
Inspired by the stories of freedom his peers told, Noel called his old friend Will, who had moved to Australia years ago.
The conversation must have been so tense that the cake guru even tried to offer the matriarch a house Down Under.
Sue, however, was anything but happy. She was shocked by her husband’s sudden change in behavior.
Speaking to the camera, she said: “Noel hasn’t really changed since I first met him. He’s definitely a family man.
”He loves to work hard and is very supportive of all of us. He is a rock for me and the kids. My Mr. Dependable.”
While Sue knows it’s normal to change your perspective on life as you get older, the 49-year-old confessed she worries this is the start of a “midlife crisis” for her beloved husband.
“Maybe he wants a flashy sports car or something,” she wondered.
”It does make you think… Is he unhappy with his life? His large family? Me?”
Who’s who in the Radford family?
The Radfords are the largest family in Britain, with 22 children.
Below you see the children from oldest to youngest:
- Chris – born on May 7, 1989
- Sophie – born December 13, 1993
- Chloe – born July 31, 1995
- Jack – born on April 9, 1997
- Daniel – born March 3, 1999
- Luke – born October 1, 2000
- Millie Radford – born August 29, 2001
- Katie – born November 14, 2002
- James – born October 17, 2003
- Ellie – born May 6, 2005
- Aimee – born April 21, 2006
- Josh – born July 3, 2007
- Max – born December 11, 2008
- Tillie – born on May 2, 2010
- Oscar – born October 22, 2011
- Casper, – born on October 3, 2012
- Hallie – born on June 3, 2015
- Phoebe – born July 24, 2016
- Archie – born September 18, 2017
- Bonnie – born on November 6, 2018
- Heidie – born on April 3, 2020
Despite his best efforts, Noel’s plan to temporarily relocate the brood to Australia didn’t exactly win Sue’s heart. However, he came up with an alternative: Dubai.
After heading to the influencer tourist hotspot, the loved-up couple enjoyed a range of fun activities, including sandboarding and sliding down water slides.
The 53-year-old said he was “sold” on the idea – and even the matriarch was starting to “warm up” to the idea.
“Being away from your family isn’t really ideal, is it?” he said.
“But we can’t have this lifestyle in Morecambe, Lancashire?”
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