Sophie Radford, the eldest daughter of 22 Kids and Counting stars Sue and Noel Radford, has confessed to feeling like a "failure" after a challenging year. The Channel 5 star split from her husband of 10 years, Joe Broadley, at the beginning of 2026, and has since spoken openly about the difficulties of navigating life as a single mother to their three young children.
A Tumultuous Year and a Difficult Transition
Sophie previously revealed that she and Joe had drifted apart after a decade together and were now "going around in circles", which prompted her need for a fresh start. However, the transition was not going to be straightforward, as the couple share three young children - Leo, Daisy and Ayprill.
Speaking on 22 Kids and Counting, Sophie confessed that she felt like she was "failing her kids". She said: "I found it very, very difficult because obviously I've been so used to always having Joe there."
She continued: "I'm on my own with the three kids and trying to navigate this whole new life where it's just you doing this for three young kids, and you've got to be, you know, spot on for them."
Focusing on Fitness and Mental Health
Since then, Sophie has shifted her focus towards improving her mental health through fitness and participated in a Hyrox event in Scotland, although her training didn't go as smoothly as planned. Fast-forward to the present day, and the Channel 5 star has set up a separate Instagram account called Sophie Rose Fitness, allowing fans to keep track of her progress.
Sophie has kept up her rigorous training regime and has now conquered two HYROXs and a 10km race, all while balancing a full-time career and bringing up her three youngsters.
Personal Trainer's Praise
Her personal trainer Stephen Pollock was full of admiration for her on Instagram and revealed his "favourite part of her journey". He wrote: "She wanted to lose weight and get herself into better shape, but there was never going to be a point where life suddenly became quiet and she had loads of spare time. So we just started working with what she had."
He added: "It's that she's gone from feeling like getting in shape was something she struggled to fit into her life, to being able to train, eat well, enjoy herself and keep progressing while having a full-time job and three kids. That's a lot of change over the time we've worked together. And Soph, I'm genuinely proud of you mate."
22 Kids and Counting continues every Sunday at 8pm on Channel 5.
