Noel and Sue Radford, the parents of Britain's biggest family, first met when he was 11 and she was seven years old, as he was friends with her elder brother.
The couple, who star in the Channel 5 documentary 22 Kids and Counting, began courting several years later. Their first date took place in August 1988, when Sue was 13 and Noel was 17. Sue became pregnant and gave birth at the age of 14.
Early Relationship and Marriage
Since the family gained fame through the show, their teenage romance and pregnancy have drawn criticism from some viewers. Noel addressed this in the family's book, The Radfords: Making Life Count.
He wrote: "People have inevitably talked about the situation, and it has been written about in the newspapers and discussed on social media. There has been a lot of focus on it and, in a way, it was probably worse for us than when it actually happened. So many people have given their opinions."
Noel added: "But we were both kids, 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."
A Growing Family
The pair married in September 1992 and went on to welcome 22 children. This year marks their 34th wedding anniversary, which the couple celebrated with a night out and "some well needed us time", sharing a nostalgic photo from their wedding day when they were aged 17 and 21.
During a previous episode of 22 Kids and Counting, Sue said the formula for their successful partnership is "a lot of teamwork". Noel noted that someone once compared them to swans, because when swans find a mate "they live together forever".
The Radfords are also grandparents to 13 youngsters. 22 Kids and Counting continues every Sunday at 8pm on Channel 5.
