Viewers of This Morning were left in disbelief after a couple revealed they are expecting their fourteenth child, with many questioning not just the logistics — but the cost of raising such a supersized family.
Natalie and Oliver Jackson, already parents to 13 children, appeared on the ITV daytime show to share their extraordinary journey, confirming baby number 14 is due this June.
Speaking to hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, the couple reflected on how it all began — and why they’ve never stopped.
Their story, however, didn’t start easily. Oliver revealed that back in 2004, he was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer. Following surgery and chemotherapy, he was told he was subfertile — a diagnosis that led the couple to consider IVF as their only chance of having children.
But fate had other plans.
Oliver recalled how Natalie called him at work one day and told him to come home, where she surprised him with a positive pregnancy test. From that moment on, their family continued to grow — almost every single year since their first child, Elliott, was born in 2005.
Natalie described their children as “miracles,” insisting they feel nothing but gratitude. She explained that while many people assume raising such a large family must be overwhelming, for them it’s a blessing rather than a burden.
Yet even more surprising was the revelation that Oliver had undergone a vasectomy around the time of their tenth child — but it failed. The couple are now expecting their fourth child since the procedure.
Despite the growing numbers, finances remain a major talking point. Natalie admitted they rely entirely on Oliver’s income, which is substantial enough to support the household — though careful budgeting is essential. She joked that returning the children simply isn’t an option.
Living arrangements are just as eye-opening. Of their 13 children, only one has a bedroom to herself, while several of the older children attend boarding school to help ease the pressure at home.
The couple previously shared that their household runs on a single income exceeding £60,000, placing them above the threshold for child benefits and into a higher tax bracket. They also benefit from military accommodation, which provides them with a suitably large home.
But while the family insist they feel “very, very lucky,” viewers watching at home were far less convinced.
Social media quickly erupted with reactions, with one viewer writing: “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” Another questioned how the family could afford so many children, while others branded the situation “ridiculous” and openly wondered why anyone would choose to have such a large brood.
From admiration to disbelief — and outright criticism — the Jackson family’s story has certainly struck a nerve.
