Viewers blast 22 Kids and Counting as 'distasteful' and 'scripted' after they 'falsely lead viewers to believe Sue Radford has dementia'
Viewers blast 22 Kids and Counting as 'distasteful' and 'scripted' after they 'falsely lead viewers to believe Sue Radford has dementia'
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Sue Radford has been slammed as 'distasteful' after Channel 5 aired an episode of 22 Kids and counting which teased she had early onset dementia. The mother-of-22 from Morecambe, Lancashire, was seen behaving unusually secretively after she learned that one of her close friends had been diagnosed with the illness.
![[The first part of the show showed the couple becoming more and more distant as the typically outgoing Sue became more withdrawn. Noel, meanwhile, was seen growing increasingly worried about his wife (Sue and Noel Radford pictured)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/27/09/94551115-14328763-image-a-12_1737971388651.jpg)
The first part of the show showed Sue, 49, and her husband, Noel, 54, becoming more and more distant as the typically outgoing Sue became more withdrawn. Noel, meanwhile, was seen growing increasingly worried about his wife. After Noel discovered a leaflet for dementia in the family he feared the worst - but the latter part of the episode then revealed it wasn't Sue who had been diagnosed.
![[Sue then finally revealed that had been bothering her and exhaustedly apologised to Noel]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/27/09/94551113-14328763-image-a-14_1737971411103.jpg)
Viewers slammed the episode as 'distasteful' episode of the show that 'set up' viewers to believe Sue Radford had a life-changing illness. During the episode, Noel said: 'I'm a bit worried about Sue, she's been really quiet today which isn't like her. She's always like chatty, bubbly. Doesn't seem the usual Sue. So I'm a little bit like 'What's going on?'.
![[She then revealed the news that one of long-term friends had recently been diagnosed with early onset dementia]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/27/09/94551121-14328763-image-a-13_1737971405090.jpg)
Desperate to find out the source of her concern, Noel arranged to go for a coffee date with his wife but she failed to make an appearance - which only exacerbated the father-of-22's mounting worry. Noel then enlisted the help of the couple's daughter, Sophie, 31, who took Sue out for a trip to a beauty clinic in the hopes of cheering her up.
![[While gutted to discover the news, Noel was relieved that it it wasn't Sue who had been diagnosed - after worrying the leaflet had been for her]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/27/09/94552267-14328763-image-a-15_1737971678749.jpg)
