THE battle for the bathroom is a perennial source of arguments for every family.
But spare a thought for long-suffering Charles Lewis, who’s had to navigate his morning routine with his 12 sisters.
“I’d often get up at 5.30am to shower and to avoid the swarm of girls scrabbling for mirror time,” the 36-year-old insurance executive told Fabulous.
“My sisters always spent too long doing their hair and make-up. If I didn’t get up early I’d be left with no hot water, soggy, wet towels and I’d be choking on clouds of hairspray and perfume.”
Charles is the fourth child of receptionist Tracy, 58, and coach builder Pete, 63. Tracy says: “After we had Charles we thought that was going to be it.
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"We had our four children and they were all under four. But a few months later I was broody again. I realised I loved being pregnant and having babies.”
Tracy and Pete are the proud parents of: Carly, 39, Tracy Junior, 38, Samantha, 37, Charles, Lyndsay, 35, Danielle, 33, Chantelle, 32, Charlotte, 30, Georgia, 29, Candice, 27, Shannon 24, Shaznay, 22, and 19-year-old Porsha. They also have 25 grandchildren aged between 18 and four weeks old.
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According to mum Tracy his sisters fussed over him all the time.
“The girls loved doing his ironing, his washing and looking after him. If I was busy the girls always rushed to his aid. He was spoilt by all of them
“The girls called him Prince Charles and he called the twelve sisters his ‘Charlie’s Angels. It has been a running joke since."
Samantha who is 13 months older than Charles shared a special bond with her brother, through their love of football.
“They always went to the footy together. Even now they are huge Tottenham fans and always go to games with their own kids, “ explains Tracy.
Charles admits he’d often bribe his sisters into doing his household chores.
“When I got my driver's licence at 17 I realised I could use that to avoid cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming the floors or doing the dishes,” he says.
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“I’d offer to drive one of my sisters to school or to see a friend if they did my chores. We were always doing deals.”
As the only boy, Charles was lucky enough to get his own bedroom in the family’s four-bedroom detached house in Poole, Dorset.
Mum Tracy says it was a no pink zone decorated with footy posters. When he was younger he had a Thomas the Tank engine bed and a blue colour scheme
He says: “I was the only boy and I was given the box room from birth. It was amazing.
"I was the only child to get their own room. My sisters shared two bedrooms, with the two youngest sleeping in mum and dad's room for a few years.”
Charles admits “privacy was in short supply” growing up.
He adds: “My tiny room was a refuge for me. The girls were all best friends and it was only when they bickered or needed space for homework did I get jealous ‘sister stares’ for having a room of my own.”
He grew up playing with “an avalanche of pink things and Barbies” but was later gifted train sets, games consoles and a computer - which were an instant hit with his sisters.
“When I was 13 I soon realised my sisters were constantly coming in and ‘borrowing’ game consoles, books, pens and even my trainers and not returning them. I had to get tougher with them,” he says.
“I learnt to stash items away in a locked cupboard and to lock my bedroom door. They were always nicking my shampoo, razors and hair dryer.”
Charles admits he used to shut his door to avoid the latest ‘girl dramas’.
“My sisters were whirlwinds of activity with make-up, dolls, and later boyfriend issues. I tried to stay out of all of that,” he says.
He is fiercely protective of his sisters and banned his mates from dating them. “I didn't want the drama. I knew I'd end up in the middle of something if it went wrong,” he says.
“He was so protective of his sisters none of his mates ever dared ask the girls out,” recalls Tracy.
Charles also avoided dating his sisters’ mates, adding: “It was hard because with 12 sisters they were friends with most of the school!”
The girls would always come and lean on Charles if they were having boy issues.
“I always would tell my sisters if I thought a boy wasn't right and they knew I’d give them good boy advice,” he says.
“I refused to let anyone upset my sisters.”
Charles met his wife Madeline, 33, an NHS duty manager, when they were 18 at a party. They married in May 2016 and now have three children, Harry, 10, Belle, eight, and two-year-old Betsy.
“Madeline was welcomed with open arms by my sisters. She adored the girls and my sisters loved her.
Mum Tracy says they knew Madeline through friends of friends so introducing her wasn’t something that made either of them nervous.
“Having three children of my own shows me what an amazing achievement it was for my mum and dad to raise me and my 12 sisters,” he says.
“They made big sacrifices to have a big family, but we’re happy to stop at three children.”
According to the Office of National Statistics, Tracy and Pete’s big brood is a rarity in Britain.
Figures released in 2021 revealed there are 3.46 million families with one child, 3.45 million families with two children and 1.24 million families with three children or more.
That number plummets to just 5,800 families with eight children or more just like the Lewis clan.
When the kids were young, the family needed two seven-seater people carriers to ferry them around. They’d also get through 50 toilet rolls a week, 12 pints of milk, 240 packers of crisps, 30 bottles of shampoo and conditioner and seven tubes of toothpaste.
Tracy, who went back to work after the birth of each child, and Pete have never relied on state handouts and are savvy with their spending.
Charles, who now also coaches under 10 football in Bournemouth, admits growing up with a hardworking family, who all chipped in to help one another, taught him the value of teamwork and cooperation.
“We were always working together on projects,” he says. “We’d always help each other out and worked like a well-oiled machine when we needed to get all the jobs around the house done.”
“I love the relative calmness of my smaller household but getting together with my sisters for family events is always hot. It’s just like the old days.
Eleven sisters live just five miles from each other, while Chantelle is only an hour away.
“One sister is always available if I need a chat or help.
Charles says he and his dad Pete would sneak off to see Tottenham Hotspur when they needed some men-only time, but he says his sisters were his biggest supporters when he was playing.
“When my family came to watch me play it was like having my own female cheerleading team,” he says. “My sisters could yell and scream with the best of them.”
He adds: “I love having a big family of 12 sisters.
"There was always someone to cook me a snack, iron my clothes or for me to drive to a sporting event or to school.
"We were always doing something and now whenever I need sisterly advice I have a choice of 12 numbers to call."
