Sue Radford shares ‘worst fear’ as son Daniel, 25, recalls near-death accident
BRITAIN’S Biggest Family is back on our screens and tonight we saw a 22-year-old mum reveal her ‘biggest fear’.
In tonight’s episode of 22 Kids & Counting, the fourth episode of the new series on Channel 5, Sue Radford, 49, expressed her concerns about her children leaving home.
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Sue, who has ten grandchildren and lives in a ten-bedroom house in Morecambe, also known as the ‘millionaire’s house’, in Lancashire, revealed: “I’m worried that all the children will move out and the house will be really empty because it’s always so busy and full.”
But it appears the Radford family is getting smaller, as four children have left home in the past six years.
Sue explained: “Chris, he had children, Sophie left home because she had Daisy, Chloe left home to go to college and then she had Mila and then Millie left home because she had kids.”
And with Sue and Noel’s son Daniel, 25, planning to move to Australia, Sue confessed: “I’m going to miss Daniel so much.
Read more about the Radfords
“We’ve only had four children leave home, but they all live close by, so Daniel is the only one who goes miles away.
“He couldn’t get any further away, except to the moon, could he?
“He’s going alone, his family isn’t with him.”
But the young man was clearly looking forward to emigrating, as he beamed: “I think there are more opportunities – lots of sunny beaches and Nice girls watching.”
But once Noel found a job, he was relieved that his son would be able to live comfortably on the other side of the world.
The father of 22 shared: “As parents, we don’t have to worry because we know he can support himself once he comes into the world.”
TERRIBLE CAR ACCIDENT
But after Daniel received an email asking for his driver’s license, he opened up about his near-death experience, which has left him without driving for two years.
Speaking about his horrific car accident, he recalled: “I was living in Bristol and I was going out to get some food with my friend, when I came to a crossroads.
The Radford Family’s TV History
The very first episode of 22 Kids and Counting aired on Channel 5 on 22 February 2021.
After the success of the first season, which consisted of only four episodes, Channel 5 commissioned a second season of ten episodes, which will air in 2022.
They commissioned a third series, with a Christmas special airing in December 2023.
The fourth season was set to air in January 2024, but fans were disappointed when it ended after six episodes.
Sue and Noel assured viewers that they were only taking a short break and that the next episode will air on July 21.
You can watch all previous episodes of 22 Kids and Counting on My 5, here.
“As I was turning left, I turned my head to talk to my friend and I turned the wheel the other way. He hit the curb and the car flipped over. I was upside down and I couldn’t get out of the car.
“My buddy got out of the car and saw that I couldn’t get the seat belt loose.
The car was a total write-off. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.
Daniel Radford
“The airbag went off and caught my nose.
“My buddy came back into the car and started hitting the seat belt.
“He unbuckled the seat belt and then I finally got out of the car.
How does the Radford family of 22 survive?
As Britain’s largest family, it’s no surprise that Sue and Noel Radford have hefty bills.
Together they have no less than 22 children and seven dogs, which makes some people wonder how they manage their money.
The Radfords support themselves with proceeds from Noel’s bakery, The Radford Pie Company, which is located near their home.
On their websiteit says: “Since 1999 we have had our own beautiful bakery, which allows us to provide for (and feed) our large and growing family, as well as the needs of the local people of Heysham and Morecambe.”
The family expanded their business to process online orders in the UK.
The business is a family affair, with Noel at the helm and a number of their children helping out.
The older children, who work at least part-time, do not travel for free, but have to pay a small amount of rent to their parents.
“We seniors do pay a little bit of board and lodging. Granted, it’s not much, but I’m also trying to save for my own house at the moment,” their daughter Chloe said in a video on the YouTube channel.
Sue added: “We’ve always said that if you want to buy somewhere, renting is a bit of dead money, so we’d rather you save that money and stay home for a bit longer.
“I also believe that they should pay board if they earn money. Our parents always raised us with the idea that we had to pay board.”
Noel and Sue are known for not relying on benefits to support their prolific brood, and for living off their pie shop.
They also indicated that they make money from brand partnerships on social media.
The Radford family stars in their own reality TV show 22 Kids and Counting, which has been running for four seasons.
Brand expert Andy Barr believes Noel and Sue were paid less than £10,000 per show.
He told the Daily Mail: “The average fee per episode will be in the thousands, rather than the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands that people often think is the case with these types of TV shows.
“If they continue to request a fourth or fifth season, then they can ask for a higher fee.”
He estimates the Radfords earn £5,000 per episode.
“There was fire, ambulance and police, so all services were present.
“The car was upside down, all the windows were broken, the doors were broken, the roof had collapsed.
“The car was a total write-off. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Recalling the traumatic time, Sue admitted: “We were in America when we found out and Daniel had texted Noel.
“I think he was more concerned about my reaction because he knew we would be really concerned about him.
“Daniel has always been a very confident person, a confident driver, but since this accident I think his confidence as a driver has really taken a knock.”
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