Noel Radford, the father of 22 children, says he has been excluded from a £600,000 family inheritance after his stepfather left almost all of the money to a cleaner.
The 55-year-old, known as the dad behind Channel 5’s 22 Kids and Counting and the head of Britain’s biggest family, said he had believed half of the estate would be divided between him and his brother.
But after his stepfather, Clive, died in 2024, Radford learned that 99 per cent of the cash had been left to a cleaner who visited once a week. The small remaining portion was allocated to Clive’s relatives and charitable causes.
Radford said the dispute had “never been about the money,” though he was shocked when lawyers informed him that he would not receive any of the inheritance from his adoptive mother, Val, who died in 2019, seven years earlier.
Noel and his partner Sue, 51, live in Morecambe, Lancashire. The couple first became familiar faces on television in 2012, when Channel 4’s 15 Kids and Counting followed several of Britain’s largest families.
After the Radfords welcomed another child, they returned for 16 Kids and Counting, with the programme turning its attention exclusively to the growing family.
Further series followed as Noel and Sue continued expanding their family. They ultimately decided their family was complete after 22 Kids and Counting aired on Channel 5 in January 2023.
Their children are Chris, 36, Sophie, 31, Chloe, 29, Jack, 28, Daniel, 26, Luke, 24, Millie, 23, Katie, 22, James, 21, Ellie, 20, Aimee, 19, Josh, 18, Max, 16, Tillie, 15, Oscar, 13, Casper, 12, Hallie, ten, Phoebe, nine, Archie, seven, Bonnie, six, and Heidie, five.
Noel Radford, pictured second from the left in the back row, and wife Sue, fourth from the right, rose to prominence when their enormous family appeared on Channel 4’s 15 Kids and Counting in 2012.
Noel and Sue Radford, who live in Morecambe, Lancashire, are pictured together.
Mr and Mrs Radford’s 17th child Alfie was stillborn in July 2014.
Speaking about his mother’s inheritance, Mr Radford told The Sun: ‘It was always mum’s wish half the estate and belongings would go to my brother and I.
‘But after Clive died, we discovered via a solicitor we were not beneficiaries.
‘This has never been about money. It is in black and white what she wanted.’
It comes after Mrs Radford asked fans to respect her privacy when revealing that a viewer came to their house and asked for a photo.
But she warned fans on social media ‘not to come to their home’ as she said it makes the family ‘uncomfortable’ and poses ‘a genuine safety issue’.
She wrote: ‘I feel I need to address this again, and I really hope people can understand where we’re coming from.
‘We absolutely love meeting people when we’re out and about. We’re always happy to stop for a chat, have a photo and say hello – it genuinely means a lot to us.
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The couple, pictured here on a family picnic, have had 22 children however 17th, Alfie, was stillborn
‘However, today while we are away, one of our older children had a man knock on the door at home saying he watches us on TV and asking for a picture.’
She said that while they ‘completely understand that people recognise them and want to say hello, turning up at their home is something they are not comfortable with’.
Mrs Radford continued: ‘It really does cross a line. Our home is our private space, and our children should be able to feel safe and comfortable there, especially when we’re not at home.
‘There is also a genuine safety issue. Our dog Lola is extremely protective and doesn’t take kindly to people she doesn’t know coming into the garden, so thankfully the dogs weren’t outside today.’
The family have recently been enjoying a motorhome holiday in Spain, where they attended Salou Festival, a local celebration featuring music, dancing and cultural events.
Elsewhere, earlier this year in April, the couple took their brood on a weekend away in the UK.
Thanks to the British sunshine, the family enjoyed a sun-soaked trip, exploring the beach, cooking up a full English breakfast in the morning and spending the rest of the day playing and relaxing outside.
‘The kids have had the best day today playing and building this den, which is brilliant. We have sat in the sun chilling watching them play,’ the mother-of-22 wrote on Instagram.
The family have recently been enjoying a motorhome holiday in Spain, where they attended Salou Festival
On Sunday, Mrs Radford also posted that the family had pondered a walk on the beach while she had her morning cup of tea outside.
It comes after the Radford family jetted abroad for their seventh holiday in as many months, after fans accused them of being ‘tone deaf’ and having ‘too much money’.
The parents-of-22 took to Florida with some of the youngest members of their brood – just a month after travelling to the Canary Islands.
The couple took their children on an overseas adventure in time for their youngest daughter Heidi’s sixth birthday.
Mrs Radford shared more than 20 posts of her family enjoying a jam-packed itinerary, from a trip to Wekiwa Springs State Park to dining at Olive Garden and visiting Nintendo World.
The family also visited Mount Dora, the Gatorland wildlife park, a celebration car show and Anna Maria Island while in the US.
They even asked their followers whether they should treat the family to renting a luxury RV for part of the holiday.
But the couple provoked outrage in March after complaining about how their trip to Dubai was cancelled due to the war in the Middle East.