Britain Biggest Brood: The Family of 15! The FULL Documentary

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

#documentary #family

Meet Sue and Ian POI and their 15 children 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 would 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 seemed 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 love 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 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 now everyday curs it’s like catching the measles no we’re not Catholic this is unbelievable this is just tremendous the way she brings him 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 never been longer than 18 months between pregnancies love being

Pregnant I just float down the street I got a smile on my 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 no we wouldn’t

Be with would no of course Not Rebecca worries about absolutely everything but she’s got a heart of gold with really Hannah she very good with the children very quick temper isn’t 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 CH 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 boy he’s a likeable Rogue is our Callum he’s got a heart of gold I yeah he loves the little

Ones 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 never have any more girls and God knows 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 pulls legs of spiders and 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 w’t miss any 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 downstairs Alex has got his own room which was the garage and then Thomas Callum Matthew

Michael and Christopher have a 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 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 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 teenagers 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 [Applause] Time it’s no wonder the poy household gets through three bars of soap three tubes of toothpaste and two bottles of shampoo every 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 I do I don’t know like you do yeah you do as well yeah I wonder if it be if you numbered

Them Sue’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 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 and 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 at 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 of my children would feel lonely like 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 at 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 CH didn’t we

Yeah it was love at first sight to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary the entire POI 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 but on the Practical side sometimes

You just can’t afford it so have me down as they will wear they come home with holes in their shoes then they get priority but if they want a new pair of shoes cuz they’re you know they’re scruffy then they not the latest fashion or something yeah and

Then they’ll either have to go and do a paper round or um wait it’s been chose to have a large family that’s the way it is isn’t it no good moaning about it 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 be put them in cupboards and line them up outside giveing them a ticket you know 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 married but when they got the sex they just kept going I don’t think you could survive

This Mayhem and all the ups and downs that you have with a if you there’s not a little bit of love and romance to bond it all [Applause] together dad coming up a typical day in the life of Britain’s big biggest brood how on Earth does Sue 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 an average term time day in the poy household means getting one baby up 10 children off to school and two more off to work yep another early start for Su and Ian 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 M we got much got to go shopping can you wait 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 really uh not very tidy you

Don’t have any breakfast till all this is shifting shoes are supposed to go under the cupboard not in here that’s all mat 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 the 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 you got everything you need pencils rubbers rulers pens well 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 from next they

Get for the sake of it they might we might give them something if they help doing something ask some to do it’s 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 fi 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 my Sho my car yeah come on in the car Katie can you hold it a b a 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 just 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 mini yes just love school

Run so for Ian it’s the relative calm of a busy office morning morning Jeff morning Ellie don’t go near the road please for 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 tied 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 All Go like a big p momy in it that you P know 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 tumble dry and turned it on and that was the end of

That so we’ve made do we haven’t had one since I you wearing 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 Ian’s 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 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 when to the older children working as well and helping pay the way things have have got a little bit easier when you 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 anything we wanted to do we’d always be able to do

It it wasn’t you know it’s 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 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 right and they’re off heading home for Sue’s next chore and then start doing a tea we line them all up on the work toop don’t 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 we try to mix in the yeah healthy eating with the pizza and chips we fresh vegetables and stuff slip the OD proper meal in in between hope they don’t

Notice I don’t cater for fussy eaters if they say they’re vegetarian we’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’ll be there all day

Doing different foods and and that H’s at work Alex is at work and then we have tea together don’t we well as near together as we can kind of 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 cover 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 in a typical Week all 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 sausages four or five packs of cheese a week 36 toilet

Rolls 160 tea bags huge dll of coffee just going Pay That’s £188 82 please thank you it can be anything from 150 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 pound a night there we go where do you want teddy bear no

Sooner is the fridgy stopped 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 just kiss him give me a kiss have a nice sleep AR 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 the 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 girl my stomach mom your little butat just puked all over Me during term time Su POI 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 got get 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 all I try 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 having a little bit of

Play mom your little but just p over me Pard 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 as 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 it’s always some 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 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 Out I think I prefer the holidays really than the regimented school school days the C is Eerie when it’s when there’s no kids about but when a boy’s got six little sisters sometimes enough is enough I think they like to get 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 fisherman enjoy nothing better than a bit of quality boys time we’d like to try and get out in there have a few days out on

The river bank or the lake so they just get a bit of time to to their dad as it were rather have to Sher me gives them 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 them all and give them a little bit of time in a different ways take some of fishing or take the girls to ballet and we do different things with the different children there’s not really

Anyone that’s left out I mean there’s a couple of sometimes maybe are and a couple of scapegoats Callum but I mean the 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’ got the brothers and

Sisters to do that so ktie will go to Hanna yeah you’re not around go to Michel 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 if they catch something they enjoy it more I think the Sport’s not that good today they have to do the old Parable I think five loads of three small fishes to feed our hungry Ms don’t 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 Milly bell bell where’s bell bell about Kaitlyn Kaitlyn Kaitlyn 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 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 minius hire sets you back a whopping 200 Quid Oh this is shaking up our poing It We’re trying to negotiate group breaks where we can if we go somewhere like this I mean most places have family deals or we’re getting up to nearly party deals and she over 20 we’re about 19 at the moment so if you get your boots on we can get in party

Rates we enjoy watching them enjoying themselves get so much player looks on their faces when they’re feeding the animals or doing something like this my stach this I 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 three happy birthday to youy birthday to you birthdays they get generally what they with bigger thing like a bike or the girls want a pram or something like that we’ll get 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 presents 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 when when people ask us all how many presents do you get they’re quite Sur as 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 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 all 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 AB just over there right Jess Jess is just there K

Away you have eyes back your head side 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 you lost Jesse at the beach last year didn’t we yeah and Del and Deli 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 a year don’t we like to try and get

Away yeah we haven’t 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 with 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 2 weeks before we go and I’m washing and ironing and bunging things in each Case once the case of the pack they 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 all take their own

Just recently we’ve had to hire a coach we did have a mini bus at one time which was all right to well we only had sort of 12 little ones but then 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 I was get get l call you up the your job I got it makes it quite exciting for the children go on on holiday to go away on the coach anyway get a few people look at us at the campsite when we turn up and Bunding All our family and the partners and the grandchildren when the pit come they 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 oldan 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 £1 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 the money wait a minute no we got the chain these now AR I I’m just getting some chains how much do you need um 2 to go on the simulator wait a Minute that looked pretty chaotic it certainly wasan ni 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 I changed three 20 notes so that’s 60 quid that’s like why

We like sunny days on holidays not rainy days cuz the beach 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 they’ve 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 [Applause] Entertain Did Been married long where did you come from where did you go where did you come from quite like coming on Hol day yeah mind you I think sometimes when we go back we could do in 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 one the two that 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 I mean if we knocked on the neighbor’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 I look after their children they look after them very well the children really need for nothing um and so it’s up to s name what they do not anybody

Else I’m allowed to say she’s mad but nobody else is I want to P well I think the children have learned quite a good lesson in life when they when they grown up they’re going to 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 I wouldn’t change

It I mean it’s my family there’s not anyone that 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 time you know but it’s so organized it’s not chaos I would I would

Live in chaos well 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 just because there 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 two or three two nice 10 or do find 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 as to how many that will be only time will tell I think she said she wanted 20 I think that’s was her ambition she she will 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 will be absolutely horrible

Not to hear a baby crying and not to have the children constantly shouting accept it but no last time you was accusing me of having SE to me 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 should probably start encourage her I to have kids instead and take them off us I just can’t say that’s the last one I just can’t say it no