MANY parents have arguments with their kids over social media and mobile phones.
When you are in the public eye though, it’s even more important to set strict boundaries – as TV personality Sue Radford revealed.
4
With 22 kids to take care of, the busy mum is no stranger to setting boundaries, especially after becoming famous for having Britain’s biggest family.
As well as their documentary series, the Radfords also have a thriving YouTube channel and family business meaning that they are never out of the spotlight for long.
Sadly, this has made the TV star and her family the perfect target for trolls online.
Due to the intense interest in their personal lives, the 48-year-old has had to become even more protective of her family – as she explained to OK.
Like many kids, the Radford clan weren’t allowed phones until they reached secondary school (age 11) and the younger kids are even banned from social media.
Sue has even backed the government’s plan to ban mobile phones in schools, after being shaken by the hateful comments her family have received online.
This is especially true after the family went on multiple luxurious holidays within the last eighteen months, with the TV matriarch saying that ‘people just jump to conclusions.
She pointedly said: “We don’t claim benefits – the pie company is very successful and so is our media business. We work hard but we’re certainly not millionaires!”
“The nastiness is upsetting though. We just want to be able to give our children the best possible life.”
Though she brushes most of these off as jealousy, it was an in-person incident that particularly made her feel shaken.
“I was in Sainsbury’s when a woman huffed at me disapprovingly and gave me the most filthy look – it was like she wanted me dead,” she recalled.
Continuing, she added: “When I challenged her she told me she thought ‘a lot of people’ wanted to give me the same look. It was awful.”
Even worse, she isn’t the only one who has become a target in the family as her daughter Ellie received countless cruel comments after posting pictures from her 18th birthday.
“Some of the comments were shocking – accusing her of having an eating disorder,” explained the proud mum, adding: “But she’d simply been unwell and had lost a bit of weight. It was horrible.”
Though most of us would shun the spotlight after this, the mum-of-22 refuses to let trolls ruins a life she has worked so hard for.
“We never look back. We love our life and what we’ve achieved,” she stated, with the family working around the clock ahead of the release of their book – The Radfords: Making Life Count.
Touchingly, she told press: “It’s called Making Life Count because with so many children you just have to make the most of every moment.”
We guess you have to with that big of a brood.
4
4