22 Kids and Counting's Noel Radford opens up on 'emotional clash' with wife Sue

Noel and Sue Radford have revealed an "emotional clash" that arose after Noel made a pivotal decision.

The Radford Family, who became household names through Channel 5's documentaries such as 15 Kids and Counting and the upcoming 22 Kids and Counting, live in a sprawling 10-bedroom house in Morecambe with their 22 children and 14 grandchildren.

Both Noel, 54, and Sue, 50, were adopted and have had different experiences with their biological families. In the new series, viewers will see Noel meet his birth mother for the first time since he was adopted at just 10 days old.

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Sue, however, has no desire to seek out her own birth parents, acknowledging their "very different views" on the matter.

Speaking to Closer Magazine, Noel shared: "It was an emotional clash rather than horrible. We have differing views on it, but I totally understand Sue doesn't want to find hers and that is fine."

Sue explained her feelings, saying: "We have very different views. For me, my mum and dad are my mum and dad. I never want to meet my birth mum, and after losing Alfie, it made me more determined, as when you lose a child, you don't have the option to give it up. We have wonderful kids and a happy life, and we feel very lucky we've got them."

In 2014, the Radford family was struck by tragedy when their son Alfie was stillborn. Fast forward to 2024, and they've posted a heartfelt homage to Alfie on Instagram, sharing a photo of his birth certificate with a poignant message, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Their Instagram update featured blue heart emojis and the touching words: "Received Alfie's birth certificate yesterday. This is going to be framed. So precious."

Despite a contented life with his adoptive family, Noel harboured a yearning to meet his biological mother and enlisted the help of an adoption expert to find her. The search was successful, revealing that she too was keen on a reunion.

Noel recounted the reunion as "emotional", having spent "a couple of hours" getting to know her and finding her "nice" and happy about their meeting.

His mother opened up about her difficult decision to give him up at 17, hoping he would one day look for her.

However, despite the warm encounter, Noel does not wish to establish a relationship with her. He expressed being "glad" to have met her but feels "that's it," reaffirming that his adoptive parents are his true family.

You can catch 22 Kids and Counting when it returns to Channel 5 on Sunday, July 20, from 8pm.