Noel and Sue Radford's ages explored as couple get candid about childhood

Noel and Sue Radford, the parents from 22 Kids and Counting, had their first child over three decades ago. The couple will be back on our screens tonight, September 1, for another episode of 22 Kids and Counting on Channel 5.

They were both teenagers when they welcomed their first child, Christopher.

In their new book, the couple reveal they shared their first kiss in August 1988 after a date in Kendal. Sue fell pregnant the following month when she was just 13 years old.

Both Noel and Sue were adopted as children and they were determined that their baby would not have the same experience. They decided to raise Christopher themselves.

Noel left catering college to work in a supermarket, while Sue took a few months off school. She returned to school at the start of Year 10 and completed her GCSEs.

The couple tied the knot in 1992 and now, three decades later, they are parents to a whopping 22 children.

Noel is currently 53 years old, having celebrated his birthday in December 1970, while Sue is 49 years old, born in March 1975.

The Morecambe-based parents defended the four-year age gap they had when they first met, stating they "were both just kids" at the time.

In their book The Radfords: Making Life Count, Noel said: "It was not as if I was 10 or 15 years older than Sue."

"For a lot of people, though, things are just black and white and you are tarnished with the same brush as other people in totally different situations.

"We were young and we were daft. But we wanted to continue as a couple."

He explained that even though Sue was below the age of consent, he did not face any legal issues as during that time it was "down to your mums and dads".

"There was no knock on the door saying I was in big trouble," he said.

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