Sue Radford’s daughter Sophie bursts into tears and admits she is ‘devastated’
BRITAIN’S Biggest Family is back on our screens and tonight we saw Sophie Radford burst into tears.
In tonight’s episode of 22 Kids & Counting, the third episode of the new series on Channel 5, Radford’s 30-year-old eldest daughter Sophie opens up about hitting rock bottom.
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As she approaches her 30th birthday, the mother of three explained how motherhood has changed her life, and not for the better.
She confessed: “Normally people in their twenties go out and party, but my twenties were very different. I had three children, all within a year.
“It’s hard, it’s definitely hard. It’s the same routine every day, it’s so full, all the time.”
The mother also realized that her relationship with her husband, Joseph Broadley, has been greatly affected since having children.
Read more about the Radfords
“I don’t like my legs, I don’t like my stomach, I don’t like my arms, I just don’t like anything at all.”
Sophie Radford
She added: “With Joe and me, we would go to the cinema, go out to eat, go shopping, do all sorts of things. Had things and it all stopped.
“Because I saw my mom and dad so happy, I think I should be that way too. But it’s not for everyone.”
And it’s not just her relationship that has changed, but also her relationship with her body, as she explained: “I used to be fit as a fiddle and I let myself go a little bit. My self-confidence was completely shattered.
“I’ve discovered that I’m not as fit as I used to be and that I don’t look as good as I used to.
“I don’t like my legs, I don’t like my stomach, I don’t like my arms, I just don’t like anything at all.”
Mother of 22, Sue, 49, was concerned about Sophie. She said: “Sophie is a very busy mum, she works long hours at work and wakes up early in the morning.
“And sometimes I feel like she’s in a rut.
“I don’t want to interfere, but she seems to be in very bad shape and I’m not sure if I can leave it any longer.
“She seems quiet and distant lately.”
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
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To celebrate Sophie’s 30th birthday and get her back on track, Sue and her children organised a girls’ weekend to Amsterdam.
Sue, together with Katie, Chloe and Sophie boarded an EasyJet flight and took a trip to the Netherlands.
Once they arrived, Chloe organized a surprise activity that she hoped would brighten Sophie’s mood: a burlesque dancing lesson.
Chloe, 29, shared: “I hope she feels a lot better when she tries something new.”
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.
For her family’s sake, Sophie gave the course a try, but she wasn’t impressed. She admitted: “It’s not something I would ever do.
“It’s like a sexy dance, and I don’t feel very sexy.
“I couldn’t feel less sexy even if I tried.”
And despite Sue, Chloe and Katie’s desperate attempts to get Sophie in the mood, things went from bad to worse, until the frustrated mother left the room in tears.
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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, providing (and feeding) our large and growing family, as well as 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.
Sophie told the camera in an interview: “I don’t feel comfortable with it, I don’t like it, I don’t want to do it.
“To be honest, I would rather not have come.
“I’m going to stop because I’m getting emotional.”
Later in the episode, Sophie opened up to Chloe, admitting: “[I’m] I’m feeling a bit down, it’s the same every day.
“I just feel really shit, I have no self-confidence at all.”
But after opening up to her sister, Sophie later shared: “All my siblings always play a huge role in making me feel better, when it comes to just talking to them I always feel so much better.”
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