Britain’s Biggest Brood: Can’t Stop Having Kids – The Family of 15! | A True Story

TV documentary profiling Britain’s biggest family, the Poveys from Swindon, who have 15 children.

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Yeah meet Sue and Ian POI and their 15 children Sue’s been pregnant for a total of 11 years and changed more than 50,000 nappies your idea of hell not Sue she’s still loving every minute I just can’t say that’s the last one I just can’t say it The British average of 2.4 children per family may have dropped to an all-time low of 1.6 but Su and POI are doing their best to get it back up always wanted a big family since I was little just wanted a large family all my life six I thought was large then

That’s what you told me yeah loow me into a full sense of security I never believed that you’d have six and I was right was I she got to six and then she carried on going we’re like oh she’ll stop she’ll have one more then she’ll stop and then she

Got to 12 and um she was like oh I want one more it just seems sort of natural it’s only when you sort of tell other people how many brothers and sister they go what at school and everything that I realized it was different I just thought

It was normal you know have a baby every year it’s just a regular thing you wake up in the morning you have your breakfast you have a cup of tea Mama you’re pregnant and yes or no and it’s no and that’s more of a surprising if

She she says yes it’s just sort of a nothing sort of thing no everyday curs it’s like catching the measles no we’re not Catholic she’s unbelievable she just tremendous the way she brings them up a real true superwoman I think he’s a lovely man very patient laidback dry sense of humor and he’s he makes a good Dad Sue’s never been longer than 18 months between pregnancies love being pregnant I just float down the street I got a smile on my face face for about 3 or 4 months I don’t have any morning sickness anything like that at all if only if only she didn’t like

Something about having children then we might have had 2.4 e no we wouldn’t be whatever no of course not Rebecca worries about absolutely everything but she’s got a heart of gold really Hannah she very good with the children very quick temper is she she certainly can be Charlie noisy Loud fun giggly yeah every child that sort of comes along we’re just it’s just another dinner plate another it’s not like a big thing I mean when people find out they’re pregnant and everything it’s it’s a huge sort of change and and it’s not here it’s just one you know sort of

Another PL another another high chair another just goes on like That Alex likes an argument he wants to become a barrister so he’ be all right there Chris Chris Chris is his own person Michael he’s a nice boy helps me out Matthew bit of a ladies man likes to have a good appearance always looking in the mirror Callum he’s a he’s a likable Rogue is our Callum he’s got Heart of Gold I yeah he loves the little on

Doesn’t he Thomas he’s quite a nice little boy sensitive caring helpful nice boy yeah we had three girls and thought we never going to have any boys and we had six boys and thought we’d never have any more girls and good there’s how many more girls we’ve had since six

Katie cre Madonna little Madam likes to put her makeup on Jessica bright and bubbly yeah full of life yeah bit of a scatter brain Abby very sensitive she’s quite she’s a nice little girl Ellie when he pulls legs of spiders and things yeah Emily very strong minded very prone to Tantrums at the

Moment then there Isabelle always smiling very very good girl I think that’s it miss any I don’t Becky and Charlie have had babies of their own and flown The Nest which still leaves 15 family members living under the same roof that’s more than five times the national average of 2.4

People per household where do they put them all Isabelle’s got her own Nursery then there’s Emily Ellie Abby Jess and Kate sleeping the pink room Hannah’s got her own room upstairs as well and then down downstairs Alex has got his own room which was the garage and then Thomas Callum Matthew

Michael and Christopher have the blue room I think that’s it Mom and Dad sleep upstairs as well oh yeah me and you sleep upstairs I do have my own room I did have to wait quite a long time for it when I left University I did spend quite

A long time on a camp bed in the study until Charlie moved out and then I got my room I used to have to share with Chris Matt Mike and canum and Tom we had all separate beds obviously but it’s not that bad but it’s still it gets to an

Age where you think that you don’t really want to share with four other people anymore it was okay until we got like to like be teenages and then you just needed your own space your own privacy and it was a bit too close for comfort there we’ve got one bathroom I

And I’ve got an on Suite shower and then to his toilet all of which are very busy most of the Time it’s no wonder the poy household gets through three bars of soap three tubes of toothpaste and two bottles of shampoo every week Do you ever get their names wrong yes always I have Callum Matthew Michael I’m Chris Chris then or I just have to say what’s your name but I do I don’t like you do yeah you do as well yeah I wonder if it’d be easy if you numbered

Them su’s own childhood was more solitary I had a horrible lonely childhood my mother um was alcoholic she was at the pub most nights leaving me on my own so it was just me and my sister for a short while till she escaped and got married my mom had cosmetic bottles

And I used to she used to have more different shapes and sizes and I used to line them up when they were my children never ever could have a only sauce bottle you had to have two or three sauce bottles you know brothers and sisters we were a

Seaside and I was my mom had left me on the beach and gone off to the pub and I would sat there all by myself and just left to entertain myself and I looked around and there was families moms and dads with two or three children brothers

And sisters playing together and I was just sat there and it was then I remember thinking when I grow up I’m going to have a large family so none of my children would feel lonely like I I’m feeling now it’s like my mom you know she couldn’t live without her cigarettes

And her booze and her alcohol and she had to have it her daily fix and I suppose I’m the same I’ve got to have my children and more children and I’m not happy until I got all the children and Yeah Sue escaped her loneliness 25 years ago when she met the unsuspecting Ian future father of her 15 children my sister’s next door neighbors party I had the records so I was invited you were the DJ the evening and I I the person that live next door to sue sister

So we met by chall didn’t we yeah it was love at first sight to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary the entire poie Clan has been invited to a tea party at Ian’s parents just the 17 outfits to find then we tried to get them some new things of

Their own TI but on the Practical side sometimes you just can’t afford it so have me down they will wear if they come home with holes in their shoes and they get priority but if they want a new pair of shoes cuz they’re you know they’re scruffy then

They the latest fashion or something like L fashion then they’ll either have to go and do a paper round or um wait it’s been chos to have a large family that’s the way it is isn’t it no good moaning about it no children take priority and that’s it we want something

We’ll save up and wait for it smile it’s our anniversary just go to lby I usually invite them when there’s been a birthday in the month but we’ve had four birthdays this month and the wedding anniversary so they’ve all it’s all been covered with one visit I think the very young ones that

Probably haven’t seen my house because you can imagine you can’t get them all over here anyway and uh you can imagine with my small house we you know we put them in cupboards and line them up outside give them a ticket you know it’s your turn to come

In got have been embarrassing when it got to 6 as I say 78 oh forget about it I don’t think Ian Ian was aware that that sort of thing Sue did say that she wanted sex when they first got but when they got the six they just kept

Going I don’t think you could survive this Mayhem and all the ups and downs that you have with it if you there’s not a little bit of love and romance to bond it all [Applause] together D coming up a typical day in the life of Britain’s biggest brood how on Earth

Does Su cope right you listening to me should just get a tape recording shouldn’t I if you think a typical day with 2.4 kids is hard work just imagine if you had 15 and average term time day in the POI household means getting one baby up 10 children off to school and two more off to work yep another early start for Su Andan it’s not long before The Feeding Frenzy begins where the family devours two packets of cereal six pints of milk and an entire loaf of bread every single breakfast time daddy I would like these m j j m don’t think we got much I got to go

Shopping can you waake the others up and tell them they’re not having a breakfast till they’ve made the beds and tidy the room please I should just get a tape recording shouldn’t I only one day really uh not very tidy you don’t have any breakfast till all

This is shifted shoes are supposed to go under the cupboard not in here that’s all Matt and where’s Matt in the toilet doing his hair wardrobe you listening to me yeah hi all that stuff goes in the Wardrobe right let’s leave these boys to it do this every the children get themselves dressed in the morning I’m busy doing other things and they just just get on with it basically they become self-sufficient because they get they at the end of the line can’t be bothered waiting so they they just copy

And they learn bye then everybody see you later 7:30 and Ian makes a getaway come on Tom we got everything you need pencils rubbers rulers pens but if you put them in the cupboard in the boxes you would find them would you right you got everything okay

As much as I enjoy the family is nice to have a little break sometimes by who wants lunch money me what do you do about pocket money don’t generally give them pocket money to give them all pocket money would be too expensive next year they

They get it for the sake of it they might they might give them something if they help doing something that we ask them to do as a treat but well they’ll ask to clean the car then we’ll know we know then that they want some money so

They clean the car and they get a fiber or something like that where’s Matt Matt oh he’s putting a car seat in I’ll give him in a minute we’ve had to do a lot of a lot of overtime in the past to support them had to work nights for several years

To boost the income because of the cost of the the family that’s uh they keep me poor but keep me happy with Chris Michael Matt and off to Secondary School Sue does the school run with Jessica Abby Katie and Tom of course she also has to take two

Little ones the baby and a granddaughter along for the ride come on Madam this Caitlyn come on in my car yeah come on in the car Katie can you hold it to B minute cuz her seat’s not straight no just stay there hold her hold her tight

We had a mini bus once but the engine blew up completely worn out but we haven’t really been able to afford another mini bus at the moment so we just get around with two cars I have my Rover and Ian has a mini one 15 children and a little Minnie

Yes just love school run so for Ian it’s the relative calm of a busy office morning morning Jeff morning Dave Ellie Don’t Go Near the road please Sue it’s business as usual everybody got their Pat lunches so I’m not coming back bye come on Millie you’re not going

To school you’re not going to school come on this way say byebye yeah come on this way Kaitlyn this way between school runs that just run and run and run Sue’s faced with a mountain of housework including 3 hours of ironing and at least nine loads of washing a day

Sometimes it could be more when Alex it’s tided up his room or Hannah’s tidied up their room they come down with a couple of baskets and put them in with my usual wash and then it’s about 11 or 12 La I big pant momy in there that you’re py didn’t don’t know H I don’t have a tumble dryer I used to have a tumble dryer and it was in the garage at the time and one of my children put cement in the Tumbl dry and

Turned it on and that was the end of that so we’ve made the we haven’t had one since what are you wearing you go to the Boys Room do anything in the boys room can you see me yeah good I never get bored with the the mundane things

You know I get up every day I just enjoy I just throw myself into it I just love it I day is slightly more peaceful he’s worked as a supply analyst for the same company for 30 years but earning under 30,000 a year it’s not always easy to make ends meet well we’ve

Had a few uh lean times in in the past where we’ve had to count the heners as it were but fortunately now things have sort of eased off a little bit one or two older children working as well in helping pay the way things have have got a little bit easier when we

Were younger it was I think it was more of a struggle I think now it’s pretty good and we don’t really notice money is not a problem or anything when we were younger it was sort of like I’d have Becky’s hand me downs and everything but

Like I said only we wanted to do we’d always be able to do it it wasn’t you know was fine you have to sacrifice little things and it’s annoying if if other people have got got more than you it’s always going to be annoying but then well again I wouldn’t change it

It’s halfast 3 and already time for another school run right right you sit there no you sit in the seat move that bag out the way get your bag off right move over we now there we go everybody’s happy yep sit down Ellie please sit back get that belt

On sit back and get the belt on all right and they’re off heading home for Sue’s next chore and then start do a tea we line them all up on the work toop don’t we we have a little conveyor belt yeah they like dishing at the school dinners yeah

Mostly it’s chips she cooks like beef burgers chicken nuggets fish fingers and um fish cakes It’s usually the same routine like nuggets and pizzas one day chips and whatever every day try to mix in the yeah healthy eating with pizza and chips don’t we fresh vegetables and stuff slip

The odd proper meal in in between hope they don’t notice I don’t cater for fussy eaters if they say they’re vegetarian will’ll sympathize and say oh yeah right ho but they have to have what is cooked for the whole family otherwise they just have to

Go out if I did food for anyone that didn’t like it I’d be there all day doing different foods and and that kind is it work Alex is at work and then we have tea together don’t we well as near together as we can can all get around the table so we all eat roughly about the same time at the table don’t ever leave your seat because somebody takes it be warned never take on a poie at a

Game of musical Chairs Do you get much family allowance I think it’s just over about100 a week I think that Sue gets so it goes towards the the weekly shopping bill but doesn’t carry it by any means the weekly shop is so huge Sue has to wait until the boys are home from

School to help her so how much food does it take to keep the poie machine running running in a typical Week right we have about 96 pints of milk a week 30 eggs 36 Burgers huge sack of potatoes we have two huge tubs of margarine 14 to 16 loaves of bread about 10 packets of cereal 40 sausage four or five packs of cheese a week 36 toilet

Rolls 160 tea bags huge dial of coffee then just going Pay that’s £188 82 please thank you it can be anything from 50 up to 200 that’s just on the main that’s just on the main shop and I can go out each evening and spend another 10 20 pounds a night there we go where’ you want your teddy bear no

Sooner is the Frid rest then it’s time for Sue to get the children up to bed with 13 of them still living at home it’s yet another lengthy process kiss him give me a kiss have a nice sleep and you they’re all pretty good once they go to bed they

Go to sleep so fortunate we don’t have them waking up all night long so we just get to bed and get woken up we do get we do get a good night’s sleep so I guess the secret has been a to have a good night’s sleep in between all the maym of

The long day coming up we see how Britain’s busiest mom keeps all her children entertained during the school Holidays my stomach mom you little butat just puked all over Me during term time Su poovi runs her family of 15 children with almost military Precision but the start of the school holiday means a whole new battle plan it takes me about 2 weeks to get used to everybody in the house all at once but it’s not too bad I don’t have

To get up at 6:00 every morning to get them ready for school and we we’re not governed by the time or the time I look at the time we got to get him off to school so we can be a bit more relaxed if it’s a rainy day I have to try and

Think of things like coloring and get some coloring books for them just try and M my brains keeping them all Entertained for the young ones I can do pastry for them and keep them occupied that doesn’t really cost an awful lot doing a modeln how are you doing trying not to let them sit there and watch Telly all day it’s sort of like a quiet time in our house they just

Sit and relax 5 minutes and watch Telly relationship we’re having a little bit of PlayStation mom your little but just puked all over me but in the summer it’s not too bad cuz they go over the park and they’re quite happy with that I just have to ask you do you

Believe that there is a lockless monster I believe that some of the sightings may have some basis in fact oops did I do that when they’re at school I can get on with my work during the day and it’s nice and quiet and but during the holidays I don’t get much

Work done if I go upstairs and do something there always something said Mom he’s being horrible to me and I stop so I don’t get much hous work done but that’s not that’s not the end of the World lots of activity going on doorbell going door opening door closing kids in Cav a cake out the back door then they leave the door open then the little ones will get out and I’ll have to go and retrieve the little ones from the front

If I can’t watch them then I shut the front door and then the kids all escaped out the back before I shut the front door so by the end of the holidays I’ve got a knack of shutting the front door and catching the little ones before I

Get to the back door before they get [Applause] Out I think I prefer the holidays really than the regimented school school days the couch is Eerie when it’s when there’s no kids about but when a boys got six little sisters sometimes enough is enough I think they like to get it with their dad occasionally escape from the

Girls cuz they’re a bit outnumbered at home I think at times Chris Matt Callum and Tom have followed in Dad’s footsteps down to the riverbank where the budding fishermen enjoy nothing better than a bit of quality boys time we’ like to try and get out and uh have a few days out on

The river bank or the lake so they just get a bit of time to their dad as it were rather have to share me gives him a bit of space to themselves it’s better than being at home this cuz it’s more quieter sometimes you have to make a conscious

Effort to consciously acknowledge them the all and give them a little bit of time in the different ways take some of fishing or take the girls to ballet and we do different things with a different children there’s not really anyone that’s left out I mean there’s a

Couple of sometimes maybe are in a couple of scapegoats Callum but I mean their attentions good or bad is across everyone my mom’s always managed to share her attention and affection around everyone but even if she couldn’t we’ve got the brothers and sisters to do that Katie will go to Hannah if you’re

Not around or go to Michael and I think Abby goes to Christopher and Ellie goes to Alex so yeah they they’ve all got they’ve all got a sort of favorite I think that they turn to look at it if they catch something they enjoy it more I think the Sport’s not that good

Today we’d have to do the old Parable I think Five Loaves of three small fishes to feed our hungry males I think we get enough to make a fish finger 15 children means 15 birthday celebrations and 15 lots of presents to buy today it’s Tom’s 11th birthday it’s just

Special occasions when we make the effort to all go out hire a mini bus and take them all out together the seaside or to the local Farm or something like that okay right have we got everybody Becky Hannah Charlotte Alex is at work Christopher Michael Matthew Tom street

Is a trip to the farm it’s only a 20-minute driveway but getting ready for the off takes twice as long Abby Ellie Millie Abby where’s millyn Milly B Bell where’s bell bell about Kaitlyn Kaitlynn right we got everybody why have we got spare seat then I don’t know Alex

It’s not here yeah there’s 14 passengers okay then right we ready to roll for most families a day at the farm won’t break the bank when you’re the poie family 17 entry fees plus a mini buus hire sets you back a whopping 200 Qu Oh this is shaking up our poing It we’re try to negotiate group breaks where we can if we go somewhere like this most I mean most places have family deals or we’re getting up to nearly party deals and usually over 20 we’re about 19 at the moment so if you get your boots on we can get him party

Rates we enjoy watching them enjoying themselves get so much play looks on their faces when they’re feeding the animals or doing something like this da this I Ma you had the practice those aren’t the only kids Sue has to feed it’s time for Tom’s birthday tea think we all ought to sing Happy

Birthday to Tom don’t you ready steady 1 2 3 happy birthday to you happy birthday to you birthdays they get generally what they bigger thing like a bike or the girls want a PR or something like that birthdays rather Christmas going to cut the cake for us

Christmas is isn’t big items there lots of little stocking fillers and you know smaller items and I try and give everybody the same amount of present so they don’t feel left out he wants a bit of cake they’ve always tried their best for us and they sort of go out of their

Way at Christmas and everything just to but we you know they the kids now they don’t mess out at all we get quite a lot of presents from when people ask us all how many presents do you get they’re quite surprised to find we do get quite a lot I

Start as soon as I can buying Christmas presents for them um because it takes me all year to get enough it’s constant that’s has been hard at times cuz uh we like to try and treat them as other people would like to treat their their children and it’s it’s not

Always possible when you got to spread your your money in in more directions but uh uh the rewards totally out outnumber the yeah the bad things the end of the day and it’s time to round up the flock again Abby abay there right Jess Jess is just there Katie

Away you have eyes back your head side head you’re constantly looking around and Counting them and oh he’s over there he’s over there and she’s there Matthew Tom can come here it’s just constantly like that you don’t really relax and enjoy yourself because you are counting heads and making sure everyone’s together do

You ever lose them we lost Jesse at the beach last year didn’t we yeah and delie and delie yeah can we lose Emily no not Emily oh yeah that was just a day trip after the break we joined Sue and Ian bravely embarking on a whole summer holiday for

20 how much you want I’ll get some change in a minute all Right sh pack the kitchen sink when you go on holiday then just imagine how much luggage Sue and Ian their 15 children and two grandchildren take on a trip to Devon we like to go away for two weeks in in a year don’t we like to try and

Get away yeah we Haven been brave enough to try and go abroad anywhere but we like to have a caravan holiday usually we used to camp at one time but it got a bit too much for it so we we treated ourselves to a bit of in the Caravan

Caravan make that four Caravans plus several weeks of planning preparation and packing about a month in advance I have to write lists of what I need to take um the suitcases are out two weeks before we go and I’m washing and ironing and bunging things in each Case once the case of the pack they’re all lined up in the hall waiting for when we have a mini bus to drive us off on Holiday I pack for everyone from the baby up to Christopher baby has her own case and then I try and get all the girls in one big suitcase and then all the boys in another big suitcase and then Alex Charlie Hannah and Becky will take their Own just recently we’ve had to hire a coach we did have a a mini buest at one time which was all right to well we only had s 12 little ones but it blew up and we had more children we couldn’t fit them in with all the luggage anyway so

We found it just as easy to charter a coach to get us down There could this be Britain’s biggest lose Stop get Dr make it l call you off day I got makes it quite exciting waiting for the children going on on holiday to go away on the coach anyway got a few people look at us at the campsite when we turn up and B [Applause] [Applause] Light all our family and their partners and the grandchildren when the poit come they [Applause] Come when the 20 strong party descends on the seaside Holiday Park they soon settle into their Fleet of Caravans with the six boys in One and the six little girls shared out between Ian Sue and the eldest Daughters and then the fun and games can begin though it costs poor old in a packet they like to go to the shops uh they like to go to the amusement arcades um seem to be dishing out pounds Here There and Everywhere and um I think we

Spent over 00 last time we went into the arcades the total could be up to about £3,000 and I have to save up all the year before just putting the money away to make sure we’ve got enough for paying for the Caravans and the coach and spending money oh bad

Luck in a minute I’ll get some change I’ll get some change in a minute all right how much you want qu come on you’re stopping the game we have money wait a minute no we got the chain SE now AR I’m just getting some change how much

Do you need um two PS to go on the simulator wait a Minute that looked pretty chaotic certainly wasan nied chaos and expensive how much did you have to spend then I don’t know but I haven’t got much left few coppers that’s about it I went in with I don’t know about 20 changed three2 notes so that’s 60 quid that’s like why we

Like sunny days on holidays not rainy days cuz the Beats is a lot cheaper next stop lunch it’s not often the poies make it out for a meal and when they do it takes meticulous forward planning has to book in advance otherwise we wouldn’t get a seat all

Together you can’t just walk in a pub ordering for the hungry hordes is no mean feat either it’s best if we all have the same otherwise it just gets too confusing and someone get go we have to go without cuz theyve forgotten it so yeah we have all the same much

Easier even on holiday Sue and Ian don’t have much time to relax there’s things to do people to see oh and just 15 kids to Entertain Mared long where did you come from where did you go where did you come from Long been I’ve been married long time ago where did you come from where did you go where did you come from K quite like coming on holiday yeah mind you I think sometimes when we go back we could do another holiday to get over It for Sue and Ian the huge responsibility of bringing up Britain’s biggest brood is not a problem but not everyone shares their enthusiasm been wi the to think we’re irresponsible and selfish that we have a large family but um Ian goes out to work to support

Our large family I stay at home to look after our large family four of our older children are all working paying their taxes and I look after two of my grandchildren so we’re self-sufficient we’re looking after our own we don’t have to ask Outsiders for

Help when if we knocked on the B’s door and said look after our children while we’re going to the pub that would be irresponsible but we know we’ve chosen to have a large family and we’re supporting our large family we’re paying for them and we’re looking after them

There’s always people saying that my mom’s selfish for having so many children I don’t see how she can be selfish wanting to share her love around a lot of a lot of people okay kiss so and look after their children they look after them very well the children really need

Nothing um and so it’s up to certain in what they do not anybody else I’m allowed to say she’s mad but nobody else is I want to P I think the children have learned quite a good lesson in life when they when they’re grown up they’re going to

Learn not to be selfish and be patient and they know how to look after children and and be tolerant um that’s going to be the pros and I just just the cons I don’t think there’s any cons in a large family I can’t think of anything

You get the odd comment oh your M’s bit of a girl a’t she and stuff like that but I wouldn’t change it I mean it’s my family there’s not anyone I want to knock off and and make it smaller there’s just so much going on

With them the whole house is like on the move all the the time you know but it’s so organized it’s not chaos I would I would live in chaos but I don’t think I’d be living with them anyway if it was mine I’d probably have left home but do the children want big

Families of their own or have they been put off entirely I’m not especially interested in a big family just because it’s too much work I see how much work has to go into it and I just I’m quite happy just to to settle for a small I love like to Frey two it’s

Nice 10 or do fine probably 2.4 children two at the most I think then if I had two boys then I’d probably want the girl so I’m not going to have as many as my mom no way as to how many that will be only time will

Tell I think she said she wanted 20 I think that was her ambition she she would keep going until she can not have anymore and then we just have to sort of all support her after that we’ll have to buy a kitten she’s going to be terrible

When she thinks she’s not going to have another baby not to have a baby in the house it would be absolutely horrible not to hear a baby crying and not to have the children constantly shouting you accept it but no last time you accusing me of AD sect toy you cuz

You have to wait more bit longer than 6 months to get pregnant yeah I don’t think she’ll stop until nature makes her stop she probably start encourage her and I Stu kids instead and take them off us I just can’t say that’s the last one I just can’t say it no