TX: Tuesdays from 17th January, 9pm, Channel 4

Most people stop at 2 , a few brave souls go on to have 3 or 4. But when it comes to having kids there are a handful of families who are bucking the trend... This brand new 3 part series explores the lives of some of the UK's biggest families.

Exec Prod: Donna Clark

Series Prod: Rachel Crellin

Prod co: Lion TV

Jo Watson, mum to thirteen children lives on the small island of Guernsey. Jo separated from her husband and father of all her children two years ago and is now finding life on her own a struggle, living on benefits. The Watson family are all used to living life in the spotlight , for years the ever expanding family has been the subject of considerable media attention. At first the coverage was positive celebrating big family life but now she is on her own Jo is finding press coverage has become increasingly negative. The latest story focuses on the pregnancy of her 16 year old daughter Mariah - the third of her teenage children to fall pregnant. During these difficult times, Jo has needed to rely on her 15 yr old daughter Georgia to help her mother while she attempts to rebuild her life while also coping with being so well known in the local community.

Lee and Emma Payne are superscrimpers. They live off Lee's wage as a carer, only supplemented by child benefit. They refuse to take handouts but cut their cloth accordingly. Despite being hardworking and proud, they have noticed an increasing amount of prejudice aimed at big families with people assuming they must rely on handouts to survive. The fact that they are unmarried only seems to fuel the prejudice. Annoyed by negative comments - especially the playground taunts aimed at his kids about their unmarried status - Lee has decided it is time to pop the question. This programme follows Lee as he surprises a stunned Emma with her dream wedding - pork pie cake and all.

Roy and Emma Hann have twelve children living at home. Roy is a Senior Nurse Practitioner and works 12 hour shifts in A & E to support his large family. Roy works at night to save money on the childcare during the day as he can help out. However, that leaves Emma to get all twelve kids to bed and to sleep on time .. a process that some nights can take hours. It's not easy paying for the weekly shop, the monthly gas and electric, the mortgage and all the other bills but the Hanns would rather forgo holidays, new clothes and expensive meals to enjoy their big brood.

The programme follows everyday life in all three families exploring the price and prejudice of being in a big family.

Pete and Tracey Lewis met at 17 and have produced 13 children. In a house of hormones 12 daughters outnumber one son. The image conscious sisters have won trophy after trophy in local beauty pageants and competitions but how is this competition affecting household harmony? This programme follows the family as both young and older siblings compete for title and crowns, and follow the military operation needed for the family of 15 to go to the pageants. Pete works as a coach builder and Tracey works in Tescos but they've got their work cut out trying to keep their brood of beauty queens in hair straighteners and mascara.

Fabian and Donna Bland have 10 children living at home. Their family, like an increasing number in the UK, are from both Donna and Fabian's previous relationships, plus children they've had together and three children they decided to care for two years ago when their mother, Donna's sister, was no longer able to look after them. The children, particularly teenager Chloe sometimes find living in the chaos really hard. Fabian's hoping that his cut-price camping holiday, the family's first ever trip away together, will unite his kids and bring them all closer as a family.

On top of the day to day struggles of raising so many children this programme shows how two families deal with sibling rivalry as their kids battle for space and attention. Each set of parents has different strategies to deal with their warring brood but will they be effective, can they pour calm over their troubled family waters and bring happiness to their homes?

In the first programme we meet two couples who can't stop having babies and ask why they just won't stop? Noel and Sue Radford from Morecambe, Lancashire have fourteen kids and are expecting baby number 15. Sue has spent half of her adult life pregnant and over the last seventeen years has had a baby nearly every year. 36-year-old Sue loves everything about babies and is happy to keep adding to her massive family.

Tania and Mike Sullivan, from Kent, have nine children between them and are expecting twins. As strict Catholics, the Sullivans believe that children are a blessing from God, sex is part of marriage and contraception is wrong. They feel the amount of kids they have is not down to them. Pregnancy for Tania doesn't come easy and over the past few years she has had 8 miscarriages. Due to her age, medical history and because she has had so many children her pregnancy is considered high risk. This programme follows the highs and lows of everyday life in both super-sized families, from the family holiday for 16 down to everyday life where just feeding the family is like running your own canteen; and finally we witness the arrival of yet more new additions to these mega broods.

Sue and Noel Radford live in Morecambe, Lancashire with their fourteen children. For the past seventeen years Sue has given birth to a baby nearly every year and is currently pregnant with baby no. 15. All fourteen children aged 22 down to just 1 still live at home. Sue just loves being pregnant.

"I suppose in a way you could say we are addicted to having children.... cos we just love everything about it"

Only a year separates the oldest Radford girls 17-year-old Sophie and Chloe, 16. They are used to their mum being constantly pregnant.

"I can't remember her not being pregnant....it's like her own personal drug, having babies ..honestly it is."

Sue and Noel were teenage sweethearts. They started their family early. When Sue was only 14 she became pregnant with their eldest child, Chris. Although only teenagers, they were determined to keep the baby as both knew the pain of unwanted pregnancies. Noel and Sue were both given up for adoption at birth.

"I can never really say for sure whether it is because we are adopted that has got something to do with us having so many...It must have been a very lonely time for my birth mum.. But part of living in such a big family you've always got somebody... I don't think they will ever be lonely"

Everyday life in this family is super-sized. Packing for the annual summer holiday involves 120 t shirts and 60 pairs of shorts, while cooking the average family meal is like running a canteen with an average dinner consisting of 16 pork chops, 30 carrots, 3 whole cabbages and 7 kilos of spuds.

Even before baby no 15 arrives, Sue is planning to have more.

"I definitely would like to have maybe another one but who knows whether that one will turn into another 2 or 3?"

Daughter Sophie says

"I cannot physically imagine her stopping having babies. She could carry on as long as she can. That's a lot of babies."

When Sue goes into labour with baby number 15, for her it is like the first time all over again.

"You can't get a better feeling than meeting a new little person. Love it. It's probably why we have done it so many times."

Tania and Mike Sullivan from Kent have 9 children between them, and Tania is now expecting twins. Mike and Tania are strict Catholics who believe children are a blessing from God, and feel the amount of kids they have is not down to them.

"God gave sex as a gift between a married couple and that's how the teaching is. Contraception is wrong. If a child is meant to be it's meant to be and I am not happy to get in the way of that.

Three years ago Tania and Mike removed all their children from mainstream education and decided to educate them at home. Tania rarely leaves her family and is usually only separated from them when she is giving birth to another sibling.

Pregnancy does not come easy for Tania, who has suffered 8 miscarriages. In spite of this she would still like to have more children.

"Miscarriages are hard ..(but) if you win the lottery once and then you win it a second time you are not going to rip up the ticket and say I don't want it."

Tania's twins will be delivered by caesarean sections. She is considered high risk, and is being closely monitored by doctors:

"If you've had a lot of children one of the main concerns is that at the time of delivery there is a risk of haemorrhage. It will be her 4th caesarean and she is having her 10th and 11th child so the risks are mounting up."