Original subtitles

SALLY LINDSAY: 'Meet Britain's biggest family.' Oh!

'Twenty-two kids...' Aww, look.

'Jen grandhds...' She's perfect.

'..seven dogs...' SUE YELLS

'..all growing up fast.'

Whoo! GIGGLING

'And the bigger the kids, the bigger the problems.'

It's horrible for me, that situation.

I'm just not BLEEP happy. This is psycho stuff.

'From relationship crises...'

She is a bit of a hothead, and she stresses out quite a bit.

Thanks for your attitude (!) I'm facing life as a single mum.

The worst thing he could is cheat.

Who's that? She's got trust issues.

'..to runaway children.'

Look at this headline. "Woman spiked on a Greek island."

Oh, my God. Is that her?

'The family face pregnancy panics...'

Her baby's heart rate has shot up.

My God. SHE GASPS

'..and fame brings trespasser trouble...'

When it's your house, it's just not OK.

'..leading to life-changing decisions.'

That is stunning! Oh, we've bought a house.

ALL CH EERING 'But whatever life throws at them,

'the Radfords are there for family and friends...'

What's happened? Cancer's back.

We'd travel t'ends of the Earth to save her.

'..however big the problem.

'This week, Noel's behaviour has everyone worried...'

Have you noticed Dad's been acting a bit weird? Yeah!

'..as a midlife crisis takes hold...'

I think I'm just playing life too safely.

'..turning his back on work and family...' Whoa!

It does make you think, "ls he unhappy with his life?

"With his big family? Me?"

'It's a crisis that threatens everyone's life.'

We've only ever lived within 20 minutes of here.

I've got itchy feet,

and it would mean moving everyone to the other side of the world.

Right, Chloe, I'm taking a quick break.

We don't have those here.

'And when Luke finds a change in leadership

'too tough to swallow...'

"Go, go, go" works fine for Luke unless he's tired,

and Luke is tired most of the time.

'..will his relationship with Chloe be torn to shreds?'

You're handing your notice in? Er, yeah.

What?

Come on, you're gonna be late!

'At the Radfords' house, it's one of the biggest days of the year.'

Has anyone seen my books anywhere?

They were in your school bag. Have a look in there.

'Back to school is their D-day.'

Right, come on, everyone! Get your bags, your drinks bottles.

'Organising the troops requires planning and military precision.'

The struggle of getting that many kids ready for school is real.

Mum, where's my breakfast?

'The Radford breakfast club demolishes three packets of cereal

'and four litres of milk each day, and that's not all.'

The amount of rulers and compasses...

Protractors and all kinds. ..protractors, pens, pencils...

Ancl then within a week, they've all gone. It's gone.

What did they do with them all?

I think we're kitting out the rest of the school.

I've never been a fan of buttons.

'Moving up to high school is Oscar.'

Bingo. 'Not that you'd know it.'

Let's do this.

Let me just get a picture of Oscar.

What, are you not doing your...? Oh, yeah.

SHE CHUCKLES

'And there's another momentous occasion.'

I'm off to school.

'It's Bonnie's first day of primary school.'

Are you excited for today, Bonnie? Yeah.

First clay at big school.

What you eating, spaghetti? SHE CH UCKLES

They're always just so excited to start school. So excited.

Then you just see the parents coming away

from dropping their little ones off, crying. Yeah, not me.

You don't do that, do you? I do. Oh, God.

Right, shoes on!

Bye, have a good clay!

I bet we're gonna be late, Daddy!

We won't be late, we'll be on time. just.

'Noel and Sue have been doing the school run

'for nearly 30 years.'

Come on, then, cross over.

Do you know what? I guess I am one of the older parents at the school.

We've been coming to schools now for the last 30-odd years.

Let me see. You haven't got your breakfast stuck to your face.

'By the time our youngest has finished school,

'I'll be retirement age.

'I'll be drawing my pension, for Gods' sake. Can you imagine?'

"Oh, your granddad's come to...

"Oh, no, your great-granddad's come to get you."

Wow. It's a long time yet.

'The other thing controlling Noel's life beside his family unit

'is this factory unit.

'Noel's pie business has put food in the mouths of his customers

'and food on the table for his family.'

Can someone push this back in?

'Two of his kids have even joined him at work.'

Probably me. HE CH UCKLES

'But like all family businesses, there have been a few upsets.'

Oh, no. Sort of slid.

Well, you can't just leave it like that, Luke.

You need to sort it out.

'Chloe and Luke even ended up not speaking for a year.'

I'm literally being completely ignored.

Luke's very argumentative.

Don't drag it along the floor!

We are so stubborn in our ways.

'But after some counselling...'

It was horrible for me, like, that situation. It was awful.

'..they managed to make up in time for Christmas.'

It's time to just let bygones be bygones.

Yes!

'But months on, has their truce lasted?'

MILA: Hiya. Hiya, you all right? Hello.

Did you hear her "hiya"?

Hiya. Come in.

It's taken time, but me and Chloe are slowly getting back

to where we used to be.

Growing up, Chloe was the best big sister to me,

and I would do absolutely anything to rebuild that relationship.

Thanks for doing this. No problem. So, I'll be as quick as I can.

Stand back.

'For Luke, it wasn't just his sister that he missed

'but also Chloe's daughter, Mila.'

We have to do a painting for Mummy before she gets back.

Yeah.

One thing that was an add-on to me and Chloe not speaking

is I didn't get to see Mila much,

so it's important that I babysit as much as I can.

Now, please don't make a mess

because if we make a mess, your mummy might kill me.

Shall I help? Oh, you've got it on yourself. Oh, no. Oh.

Are they washable? I could never be a parent.

I don't know how Mum does it. I don't know how Chloe does it.

I don't know how anyone does it.

Oh. Oh.

I am not gonna have kids,

so being an uncle to Mila is my way of kind of being a dad.

Yeah, it's all over your hand.

Oh, it's on mine as well. How've you managed that?

And so I won't let anything mess things up with me and Chloe again.

I'm back!

Hello. What have you been doing?

So, that's Mila's.

Well, I would hope that's Mila's cos if you've clone that...

Well, wait till you see mine. I was sabotaged. Oh.

Why does Mila's look better than yours?

Poo-poo. Poo-poo? Oh!

'At the bakery, it's delivery time.'

All right? All right, Ray? I'm all right, Noel. How are you?

All good? Good, yeah.

'Ray's been delivering to Noel for 20 years.

'Since they've been pals, Noel's family's doubled in size.

'Meanwhile, Ray's kids have moved out,

'and he's cut the hours he's out on the road.'

N0eL what are you up to this weekend?

Same old.

Looking after 18 kids at home. Wow.

What about you? What are you up to?

I got rid of two kids and got one dog. You got rid of your kids?

Yeah. What's it like, Ray, when your kids move out?

It's quiet, Noel. It's just me and the wife.

Don't you get lonely at home with none of the kids at home?

No, no. Since the kids gone, I can go to football.

And I only pay for myself, not the kids!

H E CH UCKLES No way.

It's great. Financially, it's a no-brainer.

So when they've gone, it's much better? Oh, God, yeah.

We can then go up t'caravan and have a few beers on a Sunday,

relax and not think about work on a Monday.

That's what I need to do. Yeah, you need to step back, Noel.

Have some Noel time without the kids.

RAY CHUCKLES

Yeah, right (!) If you can! If you can!

'Ray has made the most of the so-called "freedom 50s",

'the age when the kids have normally flown the nest

'and Mum and Dad spend their inheritance...

'..but Noel's feeling like his wings are clipped.'

Seeing my mates enjoy themselves is a real wake-up call.

If I wait till all my kids have flown the nest,

I'll just be too old to do the things I want to do.

It sounds selfish, doesn't it?

But, yeah, maybe I do need to find some time for myself.

'And with any big decision, Noel has to inform the boss first.'

Been talking to people recently, sort of looking at their lifestyle

and how their kids have grown up and they're enjoying life. Yeah?

You know, going off and doing their things,

clays out and whatever, and I thought,

"I think I need to start doing that."

So what I'm gonna do,

I'm gonna work a clay or two a week. Are you? That's it. Yeah.

Ancl... What, you're actually gonna take a step back? Yeah.

It's me time. Mm-hm.

I mean, this is not like Noel at all.

I mean, he tried to step back last year,

but he just couldn't do it.

Ancl I am actually really worried about Chloe and Luke

because they're just still rebuilding their relationship,

and I really think that they need their clad at the bakery

just to make sure that continues.

I just worry that there will be a conflict

between Luke and Chloe again.

One of them's gotta take over one clay.

So, you've decided that you are...

Yeah. "definitely taking time out? Yeah.

Well, I'm not getting any younger, am I? Enjoy life.

This is not like Noel.

He's normally the one that puts everyone first.

What is happening to him?

'Coming up, Noel heads for the hills...'

Do you know, I never even knew this place existed,

which is quite shameful. I've lived here, like, 20-odd years.

'..and the heat rises down at the bakery.'

If you get stuck, Luke, just ask.

I'd rather you keep asking rather than get it wrong.

Yeah? Yeah.

SALLY LINDSAY: 'In Morecambe,

'the Radfords are getting used to a new routine.'

Shoes. MILA GIGGLES

Yeah! Where we going?

You going to nursery?

'Noel's decision to spend less time at work

'means Chloe will be spending more time at the bakery.'

Have a good clay. Say bye, Mila. Bye-bye.

Say bye. Bye. Come on, then.

'And while Noel is away, Chloe and Luke are left running the show.'

You have to ask me what's what when you start chipping because...

...not all of it is getting egg washed.

'But inevitably, one of them has had to take charge.'

So, I'm taking more of a lead role there

just cos I know the ins and outs of all of it.

I've worked there for such a long time,

and I think Luke's happy for me.

'It might make sense to Chloe, but for Luke,

'a new boss is a big deal.'

You're not egg washing the first four trays.

How many am I egg washing?

Chloe's more organised than Dad.

These are your five trays of ale that you're egg washing,

and then all your mushroom.

Whereas Dad can be quite laid back, she's more... "Go, go, go."

Right, Chloe, I'm taking a quick break.

We don't have those here.

"Go, go, go" works fine for Luke unless he's tired.

Then "Go, go, go" does not work.

And Luke is tired most of the time.

'What's keeping Luke awake at night

'is the change in the family dynamic.'

Rest is to be frozen, yeah?

Taking direction from a sibling rather than my dad

is a little bit harder...

..cos you don't necessarily listen to your siblings.

Yeah? Yeah.

Please don't get it wrong.

'It's only a few months since Chloe and Luke got back on speaking terms,

'and now Luke is fearful that work will lead to another bust-up.'

I mean, you can pull them out,

but if it goes wrong, you can't blame me.

I have been working at the bakery now for three years,

and I love the job,

but I feel like the job is gonna ruin my relationship

with my sister and my niece.

I'm gonna have to decide what I find more important,

the job I love or the people I love.

'With Chloe and Luke alone at the bakery,

'Noel can get a taste of the "freedom 50s" -

'life as a liberated dad.'

No, I don't like sitting around, watching daytime TV.

I wanna be out there doing something.

I'm off to meet a bunch of strangers in a car park.

I'm a little bit nervous,

but if you don't try, you don't know, do you?

'Noel's going for a walk in the countryside,

'and it's the middle of the week.'

It's a good walk today. It's about seven-and-a-half miles.

It's not gonna be too squelchy.

Perhaps if you're keen next week, you can lead the walk, how's that?

NOEL CHUCKLES Yeah.

'These experienced walkers have all had to adapt to life

'after the kids have left home.'

Did you notice the difference, then, as soon as they both left?

Yes. You're no longer acting as an unpaid taxi service.

NOEL CHUCKLES

Generally, a lot more free time. You get used to it.

Do a bit of yoga, go swimming regularly

and use the gym. Right.

just things to fill the void, really.

Do you have any hobbies in your free time?

No, sort of my hobbies stopped, really, when I took over the bakery.

It's always been work and family, that's it.

Obviously, having 22 kids is a bit of a handful.

Did you plan on having 22 children?

No, we wanted three. SHE LAUGHS

What happened?! SHE LAUGHS

I won't go into detail, but... THEY LAUGH

All of my spare time is mine. Right, yeah.

So you have to fill it.

I sort of semi-retired to do a degree.

I've never even had time to think about learning something else,

never mind the time to go off and do it.

I think if anything, it'd be a language.

Oh, right, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Which one? The one that's easiest to learn, I would imagine.

THEY LAUGH

So, a language, a ramble. Do you garden?

Erm, no, we've got a plastic garden. Oh, right, OK.

SHE LAUGHS

'Noel is just outside Morecambe

'yet he's been transported to another world.'

I've not thought of the bakery at all since I've been on the walk,

not even picked my phone out of my pocket

except to take a picture, that's it.

So, yeah, I've completely just switched off from work up here.

Never ventured up this bit. A hidden gem up here.

It is just lovely views. Yeah.

No, you can't beat life round here. No.

Get some piccies.

I never really take photographs,

but a view like this, you can't not take a picture.

It's lovely.

Do you know, I never even knew this place existed...

...which is quite shameful.

I've lived here, like, 20-odd years, and it's ten minutes away from home.

I think when you're busy working

and busy looking after 20-odd kids, you forget about it...

...and time flashes by, and it's gone, hasn't it?

Ancl then you think, "Oh, I should be doing more of this."

Living the dream, eh?

Mum, what's for tea?

SINGSONG: It is spaghetti bolognese.

'Back in Morecambe, Sue is holding the fort.'

I know Noel needs a bit of me time, but...

another pair of hands would be good.

Noel's never really changed much since I first met him.

He's definitely very much a family man, loves to work hard

and loves to support all of us.

He's been a rock to me and the kids.

My Mr Dependable.

When is dinner? When is tea? Er, not long.

Getting older definitely does make you see the world a bit differently

because you start to think, you know,

"How much longer have I got left?"

Mummy, you look weird with these glasses.

Yeah, yeah, don't put them on, you'll hurt your eye.

'Sue is finding Noel's change of behaviour a cause for concern.'

I am a bit worried that this could be

the start of a midlife crisis for Noel.

Maybe he'll want a flash sports car or something.

Maybe different kind of dress sense,

start thinking that he's 20 years old again.

It does make you think, "ls he unhappy with his... with his life?

"With his big family? Me?"

Mummy, can we have chocolate custard?

It is a bit worrying where this is gonna lead to.

Like, what's gonna be next?

'Luke is heading out of town with younger sister Aimee.'

I could fall asleep.

'Everyone thinks Luke is kindly escorting his sister to a jobs fair,

'but he actually has an ulterior motive.'

So, you know how Dad is no longer full-time at the bakery any more?

Yeah? And if Dad's not there and Chloe's boss,

it's more likely we're going to fall out at work.

So that's why I'm coming with you today. What do you mean?

Well, I could maybe find myself something for me,

something to move me away from the bakery and...

just not have that conflict with Chloe again.

But you love the job, though.

It's not something I want to do,

but it's something that I know I need to do.

And if it means I get to preserve

the relationship with Chloe and Mila... Yeah.

...then I'm happy with that.

If I stay, me and Chloe are just gonna fall out again.

I love the job, but it is family every time.

'The jobs fair is being held

'at Manchester United's football stadium.'

Right, cheers, mate. Keep the change.

'Inside, hundreds of local and national employers

'are looking to recruit the right people.'

First impressions, it's very busy.

It's very busy, and there's a lot.

It's just an intimidating thing, looking for a new job.

What income would interest you? What is... 2,500 what?

A year? A day? An hour? I just... I picked it up!

It'd be helpful if I spoke to them, but I didn't.

Engineer? Yeah. Plate driver?

So, I feel like childcare, nursery, all that kind of stuff,

I'm just avoiding those.

I do come from a big family,

I do look after my brothers and sisters, however, not my career.

Why are you skipping the army one?

Well, the army's there, Aimee, but I'm eight stone soaking wet.

I'm doing this to protect my family,

protect my relationships in the family,

so I don't want a job that's gonna take me too far from home.

Hi, pretty much just want to know what it is, really,

just get an idea. So, it's, erm...

We're an engineering, manufacturing, scientific, recruitment agency.

That's a mouthful! Yeah, yeah.

'After 9O minutes, Luke and Aimee have drawn a blank.'

No. Nothing here interests me at the minute.

Yeah, there's no hairdressers here. No.

I don't really know fully what I'm looking for.

I think one thing I am interested in

is just any tech and that kind of stuff.

'It seems Luke's escape plan might be on hold.'

What is that? What's that, Aimee? Let's have a look.

What we do is we train people in IT.

And what...? How long do the courses take?

About six to eight months. That's not even that long.

You complete the training, we'll place you.

Yeah. Thank you.

'Finally, Luke is on a roll.'

Hi, I'm Kirsty. Hi, I'm Luke.

I don't wanna leave the family business,

but I've found stuff that interests me,

stuff that I genuinely do want to get into.

'The day's turned out successful for Luke...

'..and he even has a little job for Aimee.'

Can you keep a secret? Maybe.

Chloe doesn't know, and I wanna keep it that way.

Does Dad or anyone...? No, Mum doesn't know,

Dad doesn't know, nobody knows, and it needs to stay that way.

Right. I can try my best not to tell anyone.

No, I need a promise. Swear down? Swear down.

'Back in the Lune Valley, Noel's walk is nearing its end.'

Do you know, I came out on the walk today

not really knowing what to expect, but the walk's been great.

The people are absolutely amazing.

You haven't fallen over, have you? No, no, I've stayed...

Well, come again, we'll go a more challenging course...

Yeah, yeah. ..and you can fall over.

NOEL LAUGHS

They've all sort of clone things from my age onwards, really.

One of them has gone off and clone a degree,

one's doing a pottery course, learning languages.

They're loving life. They're all inspiring people.

'It seems that this five-mile ramble

'is just the start of a new journey for Noel.'

It's got me thinking, you know, what I can do with my time.

You know, you don't need to just sit back and do nothing.

There's plenty to do out there.

You've just gotta think of summat and get on with it.

Noel, have you got any dreams for the future, anything you wanna do?

I do, I mean, there was something, but I think that... Oh, tell me.

...that... that ship's sailed now,

I'm a bit late for that in life, I think, bit too late.

I do have one massive dream I would love to chase,

but it would mean moving everyone to the other side of the world.

'Coming up...' This is where I met Sue

and I had to suddenly grow up.

'Noel goes down memory lane and gets itchy feet...'

Our whole lives, we've only ever lived within 20 minutes of here.

Whoa! WOMAN LAUGHS

PHONE RINGS

'..and Chloe finds out what Luke's been up to.'

I'm not happy about my brother keeping secrets from me.

SALLY LINDSAY: 'After Noel's walk in the Lake District,

'he takes the opportunity to stop off in Kendal,

'his childhood home.'

This is the house where I used to live in.

That was my bedroom, the one on the top left,

and for a bit of fun, I used to jump out of it onto t'grass,

just for... Yeah.

'Please don't try this at home, kids.'

It's where Nick used to live, in this house.

Steve used to live in that corner one.

Where we used to play kerby, you know,

where you get a ball and bounce...

try and throw it on the opposite kerb to bounce back to you.

We'd play that. We just had the best time ever.

'Noel's life changed when he was expecting his first child.'

Between that little cul-de-sac and this one,

this is where, yeah, I met Sue and I had to suddenly grow up.

We didn't have time for friends and things like that.

Never heard from 'em, never see them or anything any more.

I had to suddenly grow up and provide.

'With a young family to support, Noel got a job.'

This is one of the first places I worked at,

one of the first bakeries.

It's now a domestic appliance centre.

Oh, look, it even says "The Old Bakery" on the flats.

'But Noel's dreams lay beyond Kendal's high street.'

What I really wanted to do

was to emigrate to Australia and be a lorry driver.

But you've just gotta make so many sacrifices

when you have so many kids.

Any dreams I had, they were put by the wayside.

I wish we'd clone that.

Yeah, it's been great, you know,

the family getting bigger and bigger and growing more and more,

but I guess it has stopped a dream of mine, yes, for sure.

'One of Noel's old friends did leave Kendal

'and has been living Noel's dream of a life in Australia ever since.'

This is who I used to work with, and he just...

just lives the lifestyle that, yeah, you could only wish for.

It's just paradise, it really is.

He loved the sun, and now he's living in it.

Not that I'm jealous or anything like that (!)

I hope it rains for him today.

What the heck, I'm gonna give him a FaceTime and see if he answers

and have a catch-up. RINGING TONE

Have you noticed Dad's been acting a bit weird? Yeah!

Did you know he's wanting to step back from work a bit

and wanting to do, like, more things for himself?

Very weird.

Yeah, he's in there now, looking up old friends.

Is he? Yeah.

Do you know who it is? No. I'm gonna go and see.

WILL: 'No more kids, Noel?' No, no more kids.

Definitely not, no. I've got 18 kids still living at home... Wow.

...and I just feel like time is running out, you know,

to fulfil my dreams.

I've never forgotten about Australia.

What are the best things about living there? Climate.

Yeah. The outdoor life. Right.

And it's such a big country,

there's so much to see without leaving. Yeah. Yeah.

I guess... What's the cons of...

What's the downside of living in Australia?

People talk about the creatures.

We have saltwater crocs and things like that,

but you don't go swimming in the creek.

THEY LAUGH

You tend to miss going to the old English pub,

which they don't have. Right, yeah.

But as you get past two years,

you tend to really get into the lifestyle.

Mm-hm. Yeah.

In life, there's these doors that open,

and if you don't go through the door,

you don't know what's gonna happen, and even if it goes wrong,

you come back, and you go through another door.

Yeah, yeah. That's what make life interesting.

I think I'm just playing life too safely.

I would love to chase my bigger dreams,

and I think if I left it until all the kids have fled the nest,

it'd be my bucket list.

The choices that'd be in there would be very limited.

Be lots of things on that list

I just wouldn't be able to do any more.

I've just been talking to Will.

Remember Will I used to work with in Kendal?

Yeah, yeah. Do you remember him? I do, yeah.

Well, you know I love Australia.

I just think it'd be a great idea to go.

I'm not saying we go and live there permanent,

but we could, you know...

What about maybe getting a place out there?

We could spend the whole of the summer holidays there,

a couple of months a year there. Really?!

CASPER: Let's move to Australia.

What, would you move to Australia? Casper wants to go.

Oh, my goodness, I did not think Noel's crisis

would involve everybody living in Australia

for a few months out of the year.

I did not envisage that one.

I think with the little ones and that, it's just... just...

It's too far.

We've only ever lived within 20 minutes of here our whole lives.

Yeah, but it's a long, long way, isn't it?

Once you're there, you're there.

'I don't think I'll get Sue all the way to Australia,

'but I'm not giving up.'

I just need to find somewhere similar that's a lot closer.

I've got itchy feet, and they need scratching.

'Down at the bakery, Luke's secret is playing on his mind.'

So, I'm coming up to three years in the bakery now, and...

...no, I don't wanna leave.

'Working with your family, it's special.'

Chloe, where do you want these large? Er, just over there.

But without Dad being in the bakery, it's definitely...

Things could escalate further...

PHONE RINGS

...so I'm not gonna tell Chloe I'm leaving

until I've got something lined up.

H ello?

Oh, he's not here at the moment.

ls there anything I can help you with?

I'm in charge at the moment.

Oh, all right, OK.

'Is it good to work with him?'

I do work with him, yeah.

'Luke's secret is out.'

All right, thank you.

Thanks, bye.

'Yeah, I'm a little bit taken aback.'

Don't really... I don't really get it.

I thought he was quite happy here.

Yeah.

I thought he could speak to me, you know.

We're on good terms again, and...

I mean, if he is unhappy here,

I would rather he speaks to me about it

and see if we can do anything rather than him just leaving. Yeah...

I'm not happy about my brother keeping secrets from me.

Daren't speak to him right now. I might say something I'll regret.

'There's a far more harmonious production line

'in the Radford kitchen.

'The older kids are holding the fort

'because Mum and Dad are on their travels.

'Noel has found a place in the sun

'that's not on the other side of the world

'where he thinks the family's future could lie.'

When Sue said no to Australia, lthought

"Where's closer that we could go?" and I thought, "Dubai."

That's the new land of opportunity.

'Dubai is an old fishing village that's grown into a tourism hotspot,

'so it's just the same as Morecambe, really (!)'

The first thing you notice when you walk out the airport doors

and it just hits you, really, really hot.

There's lots of Brits going there.

You know, looking online and things like that,

just everyone seems to be enjoying life out there.

'Noelthinks Dubai could be a second home,

'but Sue has a different agenda.'

When he said, "Let's come to Dubai",

I realised that his midlife crisis was getting out of hand,

but I thought, "You know, let's go, let's get it out of his system,

"and then maybe I might get my old Noel back."

'The city has many attractions for Noel and Sue to try out.

'Sue knows that when Noel gets over excited, just like a kid,

'you've got to tire him out before he hurts himself.'

I want fast. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, thanks.

Whoa! Whoa!

SUE LAUGHS, SCREAMS

Don't worry, don't worry, don't, don't!

THEY LAUGH That's great, that's great!

The tourist stuff out there is top notch, isn't it?

You can have so much fun.

Like, going up, I thought,

"Oh, my goodness, I'm gonna, like, fa ll forwards."

But it was really good, that.

Very comfy on top. It was comfy.

CAMEL GRUNTS

'But Noel's not come for a holiday.

'He's looking for a new holiday home.

'He's hoping a spot of shopping in the local market

'will whet Sue's appetite for a new life abroad.'

What? No, thank you.

No, England.

Thank you anyway.

NOEL:

You stop wandering off and leaving me, will you?!

Noel, I had to because he just pounced on you.

Oh, my goodness, you cannot even walk a step in front of you

without getting pounced on.

Don't point!

I daren't even give 'em eye contact.

I mean, I did pick up the word for "thank you", "shukran",

but what I needed to learn was,

"|'m just browsing, thanks. just leave me alone."

SHE CHUCKLES

No, thank you. Oh, my God.

Please tell me this is the exit.

Going round the market does make it... You feel...

It's a totally, totally different culture,

and it might be a bit too tough to come and live out here.

'The next day, Noel wants to meet up with some Brits

'who've already made the switch.

'Gopal is from Leeds and has been living in Dubai for five years.'

So, yeah, why Dubai?

I actually just fell in love with it the first time I got here.

You know, it's very, very extravagant everywhere you go,

and there's always something to do.

Right. Over here, you can go to the mall

at, like, midnight, if you want.

I went for dessert at 3am one time.

That'd do me, that. HE LAUGHS

I'm one of them that gets up at two o'clock,

gotta look for something too sweet.

Hey, you're from Leeds. Can you see yourself ever going back?

I don't think so.

I mean, I love Leeds,

I love where I'm from, I love my home,

but there's not much going on in comparison to Dubai.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. There's no place like this.

No, I would agree. I think you've sold us the dream.

GO PAL CH UCKLES

Yeah, after speaking to Gopal,

I mean, he's really sold the place to me.

I am beginning to warm to the idea, I must admit.

I mean, it would be amazing.

Hi. Hi. Hi, Noel.

Scott, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.

'But for expat Scott, there are some downsides.'

Do you like it? Yeah, love it.

You know, it's more expensive, I'd say, than up north.

Right. I'd say it's comparable with somewhere like London.

Errn, the thing we miss the most is just having family around.

So, our little one doesn't see his grandparents and stuff... Yeah.

...as much as he should, and, you know, things like that.

Yeah. If anything happens family wise,

it's a bit of a trek back, you know.

When Scott mentioned about his parents

missing out on being grandparents,

it really kind of changed, for me, moving out to Dubai.

I just don't think I could ever get used to not seeing the kids

and grandkids like we do, like, every single clay.

I just... I don't think I could ever get used to that.

Distance from the family isn't really ideal, is it?

But we're not gonna find this lifestyle

in Morecambe, Lancashire, are we?

Dubai has it all, and I would love to come here.

'6,000 miles away,

'Luke's future is also hanging in the balance.'

One for me.

I'm pretty sure this is a letter

from someone I got in touch with at the jobs fair.

Someone has shown interest. I've been offered an interview.

It looks like I'm not working at Radford's Pies any more.

'Whoa, steady on, Luke. You haven't got the job yet.'

I really don't wanna leave the bakery,

but I need to go through with it, really.

Hiya, Chloe.

'Coming up...' 'It's Luke. I think he's leaving.'

Leaving work? '..Luke has to face the music...'

You handing your notice in?

Er, yeah. What?

'..and Noel decides where his future lies.'

SALLY LINDSAY: 'Noel has stepped back from work,

'and he's chasing the dreams he gave up for his family...

'..but his freedom depends on his business running without a hitch.'

Hiya, Chloe. What's up?

'Er, I've had a call asking for a reference for Luke.

'I think he's leaving.' Leaving work?

'Yeah.' Where is he? Do you know?

'Well, I think he's at home.'

Right, well, can you get to our house now?

'Willdo.' I'll see you in a minute.

See you. Bye. 'Bye.'

I don't know what's going on with Luke,

but I need to sort it out for everyone's sake.

Luke? Hello?

Can you just come upstairs for a minute? What for?

It's important. Can you just come up?

Er, yeah, all right.

The last time he fell out with Chloe, it took a year to fix.

We can't have that again.

It's upsetting that Luke kept that secret from me.

I do worry that maybe I have clone something that has upset him,

but I just can't think what.

Hello. Hello.

Yeah, just come and sit down a minute, Luke.

I thought, "Dad and Chloe..."

HE SIGHS "Here we go. I know what's coming."

Basically, I've had a phone call asking for a reference for you...

...so... are you leaving?

I was looking at somewhere to go, yeah.

But why?

Well, I want to stay at the business,

but with you stepping back,

it means me taking a lot more direction from Chloe at work,

which... Well, what's wrong with that?

Well, last time we fell out, it was over work.

It's just so frustrating when two people who normally get on so well

struggle when they have to work together.

So, basically, you're worried in case, I guess,

Chloe has to say something and you don't like it, or...?

Yeah, and to be honest,

I don't wanna jeopardise our relationship any more.

So you feel the need that you've got to be completely away

from the whole situation to look after your relationship with Chloe?

Yeah. Ancl Mila, obviously. And Mila, yeah.

That's a really sweet gesture.

I just hope that he obviously knows that...

he doesn't need to do that, you know.

What happened,

that was probably a one-time thing of us...

...being like that,

and I think we've both learnt from it.

Yeah, I mean, definitely learnt from it, but...

Because, to me, we do work together really well.

I want you in my work life

and, you know, at home as my brother as well.

I would like you in both.

So...

It is nice to know that Chloe not only wants me in her life,

in Mila's life, but also in her work life.

You know, I think we should make a pact now.

You know, any conflict at work, we leave there,

and we don't bring it home with us like we did last time.

What do you think?

I would be upset if you did leave.

It were reassuring when Chloe says she doesn't want me to leave

cos it does really make it that we are past it,

and she wants us to forget about it.

All right, yeah. So, you're gonna stay, then?

Er, I think... that means I'll probably stay, then, yeah.

Good. Yeah.

After talking things through,

it has just given me so much confidence

that we can talk through any problem in work

and still be friends outside of work,

which is the most important thing to me.

It's just such a relief

cos family's everything at the end of the clay, isn't it?

Ah, that's good. I'm so glad you're staying.

Do you know, I am super proud of Chloe and Luke.

If this was 12 months ago,

Luke would have quit, he'd have gone.

Ancl seeing the sacrifices Luke was prepared to make for family,

you know, it's definitely given me food for thought.

'The next day, Noelwakes up a changed man.

'Or is he just his old self again?

'Teaching Phoebe and Archie to ride their bikes...'

BELL RINGS

Which foot would you kick a football with?

This one. Right.

So, if you put your pedal and push it round... Right.

SUE LAUGHS

"Wait there, just need to sort my dress out!"

Right. '..instead of thinking about himself.'

Keep pedalling. Don't stop.

'For Noel, it's all about family time.'

Ooh! You all right?

Yeah. Oh, clear.

Give it a rub. Come on.

I don't think she's hurt herself.

I think it was just more of a... a shock.

'With Phoebe needing a break,

'Noel gets the opportunity to explain himself.'

I know I might have been acting a little bit odd recently, but...

I've just been noticing, like, other 50 year olds, like,

just enjoying life and having their freedom, you know?

But... Luke recently has taught me something.

He was prepared to leave the bakery

just to protect his relationship with Chloe and Mila,

putting family before himself.

What, like you normally do?

Well, I mean, I suppose so,

but, you know, Luke's definitely reminded me

we're not missing out on any adventures, are we?

Twenty-two kids! No bigger adventure than that, is there?

SUE CHUCKLES

I'm really relieved that Noel is back

and he's normal Noel again.

Yay! You're doing it!

'And so Noel has come up with a new plan for his 50s.'

100% stepping back from work,

but my plan is it's gonna be more time with the family and Sue.

That's what it's all about.

Yeah! Well clone, Phoebe.

We“ done. Whoa'.!

The emptiness, freedom, it's not for me.

'It's not exactly Dubai's Palm Island, granted,

'but at eight forty-seven on a Sunday morning,

'there's nowhere else Noel Radford would rather be.

'When it comes to responsibility, he's back in the saddle.'

Yay! Well clone, Phoebe!

'Next time...' Time to get up.

'..Noel has a challenge for his laziest kids...'

Get out on your push-bike, doing odd jobs.

'..that leads to pastures new.'

You've just delivered your first child. Yes.

'And when Sophie hits rock bottom...'

My confidence isn't amazing at the minute.

'..a girls' weekend away does more harm than good.'

With me, is no problem being naked.

I'm getting emotional, and I just can't be arsed.

I had no idea that it had gotten so bad.