After baby No 20, I’ve had enough!
SUPERMUM Sue Radford has given birth to her 20th child.
But yesterday she vowed: “This is my last. I want to end on a nice even number.”
Mrs Radford, 42, welcomed her 11th son, Archie, who weighed 8lb 6oz, on Monday.
Together with husband Noel, 46, and her super brood, they make up Britain’s biggest family. Now, however, they have decided enough is enough.
Sue, who gets no state handouts except basic child benefit, said: “We’re happy to be finishing on a nice even number.
“It’s strange knowing you’re not going to have any more. Our daughter Chloe said, ‘I believe you now.’ I don’t think she has before.
Sweethearts
“Not all big families are on benefits. Most work very hard for what they’ve got.
“I know all their birthdays but Noel struggles. I think men are a bit rubbish at that.”
Pie firm boss Noel, of Morecambe, Lancs, said: “It was going to end at some point. We both think this is it. I feel sad in a way but now we can get on and enjoy the kids.”
He and Sue met when she was seven and they later became childhood sweethearts.
They had their first child, Chris, when Sue was only 14.
Archie joins Chris, 28, Sophie, 23, Chloe, 22, Jack, 20, Daniel, 18, Luke and Millie 16, Katie, 14, James, 13, Ellie, 12, Aimee, 11, Josh, 10, Max, eight, Tillie, seven, Oscar, five, Casper, four, Hallie, two, and Phoebe, 13 months.
Sue lost a boy, Alfie, when 23 weeks pregnant in 2014. The couple are also grandparents to Sophie’s three children.
New baby Archie was born two weeks early at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Sue said: “All the midwives know me now.”
Noel had a vasectomy during Sue’s ninth pregnancy but reversed it when they found they longed for more children.
He said: “Having it reversed is worse. I won’t be going back again. We set out to maybe have three children but enjoyed having the kids around so just carried on. We’re addicted to having all these kids. We just love it.” The children chose the name Archie after Sue and Noel ran out of ideas for names and his siblings were thrilled when he came home from hospital on Tuesday.
Sue said: “They love him to bits already. They sat on the sofa lining up for a cuddle. He’ll never be short of a hug.”
The Radfords, who starred in a Channel 4 programme four years ago called 16 Kids And Counting, live in a 10-bedroom £300,000 house and spend £250 a week on food, drinking 18 pints of milk a day and getting through three boxes of cereal at breakfast.
CONGRATULATIONS to Sue and Noel Radford on the birth of Archie, their 20th child. The couple have now said that they won’t be having any more children and are happy to stop “on a nice even number”. It’s probably for the best, they must be running out of names by now.