22 Kids and Counting star Noel Radford defends getting wife Sue pregnant at 13

The dad of UK’s largest family with 22 kids has come out to defend getting his wife pregnant when she was just 13 years old.

Noel Radford, best known for starring on Channel 5's 22 Kids and Counting series, has spoken out about his relationship with Sue and the ages they were when they welcomed their first of 22 children.

The pair, who are just one small fraction of 'Britain's largest family' and who have been married now for over 30 years, have just yesterday (29 February), released a book titled The Radfords: Making Life Count.

In it, Noel addresses the comments about the respective ages he and Sue were when they had their first child.

Noel was 17 when he learned he was going to become a father while Sue was four years his junior.

However, after receiving some criticism online after it came up on one of their shows, Noel has since come forward to explain they 'were both just kids'.

"People have inevitably talked about the situation and it has been written about in the newspapers and discussed on social media," he wrote.

Channel 5

The reality TV star continued: "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.

"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."

The father-of-22 also shared he didn't get in any official trouble over the age situation as it was 'down to your mums and dads' adding that there was 'no knock on the door saying I was in big trouble'.

Instagram/@theradfordfamily

Between them, Sue and Noel are parents to; Chris, 34, Sophie, 30, Chloe, 28, Jack, 26, Daniel, 24, Luke, 23, Millie, 22, Katie, 21, James, 20, Ellie, 18, Aimee, 17, Josh, 16, Max, 15, Tillie, 13, Oscar, 12, Casper, 11, Hallie, 8, Phoebe, 7, Archie, 6 and Bonnie, 5.

Their youngest, little Heidie Radford, is just three years old.

And, even while Sue has spent nearly 17 years of her life pregnant, she still isn't ruling out expanding her family of 22.