The Radford family, known for their large brood, returned to our screens with a fresh episode of 22 Kids and Counting on Channel 5 this Sunday, 26 January, promising more drama for the clan.
Throughout the episode, Noel observed Sue’s unusual quietness and evasiveness about her whereabouts. Worried, he reached out to her mother and even sought the assistance of their daughters to find Sue.
Upon discovering an early dementia leaflet in their family van, Noel’s concern escalated. He confronted Sue at home, asking his wife: “What’s been going on?” She then disclosed that it was not her but one of her close friends who had recently been diagnosed with early dementia at just 49.
Sue confessed that her friend had requested her to keep the diagnosis confidential as she hadn’t informed her own family yet. Apologising to Noel, Sue said: “I’m sorry, it’s been awful! But now she’s told her family, I can tell you, so… she’s got early onset dementia”, leaving Noel shocked and exclaiming: “Oh my God!”, reports .
The Radford family returned for a brand new episode of 22 Kids and Counting on Sunday night (Image: Channel 5)
In a direct-to-camera piece, Sue shared: “Gradually her memory will get worse, it’s a reality check, it could happen to anyone and you never know what’s around the corner”, admitting that the news had “knocked her for six”.
This poignant revelation follows the family’s appearance in a spin-off show titled 22 Kids and A Wedding, which featured Millie Radford tying the knot with her partner Harley Passmore.
Meanwhile, during a visit to This Morning earlier this month, the famous clan graced the show with their presence. Post-commercial break, host Cat Deeley couldn’t help but beam at the lens while quipping: “I love this mayhem!”
Cat’s lighthearted comment was in response to the bustling scene of having 18 relatives on set, as they were gearing up to chat with some members from the 22 Kids and Counting family.
Throughout the episode, Noel noticed his wife Sue’s unusual silence and secretive behaviour (Image: Channel 5)
The atmosphere took a small turn when it became clear that one family member, Ronnie, Sue and Noel’s grandson, was less than thrilled to be in the spotlight, bursting into tears during the broadcast.
Amidst his mother Katie’s efforts to soothe him, the show had to smoothly transition as an ITV staff member stepped in due to the little one’s continued distress.
As Cat attempted to engage Sue in conversation regarding the familys routine, the baby was handed over to an off-screen production person to comfort him away from the cameras.
Recognising the disruption, addressed the audience: “We’re just passing Ronnie out so he can have a little bit of a walk around the studio. Vicks is taking control! You’re in charge now, Vicks.”
22 Kids and Counting is available to watch on My5