Enough siblings for two ‘Family Feuds’

The Bailey kids, all 14 of them, grew up watching Family Feud.

Unfortunately, only five family members are allowed per team, so when the Baileys got their chance to appear on the popular game show this week, nine little siblings had to stay home.

The Baileys moved to Costa Mesa about 10 years ago, and Noraline Bailey, 21, the baby of the group, said she remembers more than just watching and playing the game with her eight older brothers and five sisters.

“It was my childhood dream to be on the show. We would all watch together in the living room, make fun of the families on the show, and try to pick which ones [in our family] would go if we were chosen.”

Making fun is a whole different thing when your family is the one up there playing, Noraline said, although she didn’t think her family made any mistakes or embarrassed themselves.

“We’re a smart group.

“Ariel, [the team captain] is one of the older kids [No. 3 in the lineup] and has a lot of wisdom and knowledge. David is smart, quick, playful, fun and a comedian. Jesse is so fast, he can always say all of our names [all 14 kids from top to bottom] really, really fast, and James just has something about him — he’s very much a people person — that charisma and charm,” Noraline said.

Noraline was never supposed to be one of the siblings to appear, she said. They always assumed she’d be a back-up or stand-in, the “just in case person.” But life situations intervened, schedules were hard to work around, people were married, wives were pregnant, and Noraline was needed. Not only did the youngest Bailey fulfill her duty, but she has also been the spokesperson for the family.

“We had such a good time. It was kind of surreal, being on television, but at the same time, we had to focus, we had to win,” Noraline said.

It wasn’t difficult to keep from being distracted by the television cameras and huge viewing audience, Noraline said, because everybody around the family was so friendly and kind.

“The cast and crew, the producers, everyone was so encouraging. They would come up to us and tell us, ‘You guys can do this, we’re rooting for you.’ The audience would participate, clapping and cheering, so everybody felt comfortable and didn’t really register that the cameras were there,” she said.

The time went by much more quickly than she expected. Noraline said it was so sad when they had to leave, and the family didn’t want to stop playing.

Any money they win on this show will go first to their church and then to help their dad, Noraline said, who retired after his wife’s death 15 years ago so he could stay home and take care of his children.

If Noraline has her way, though, this isn’t the last time the Baileys will make an appearance on Family Feud.

Their focus would be a little different, and the way Noraline sees it, the Baileys could just play the Baileys.

Remember, even fielding two teams, there would be some siblings on the sidelines.

Noraline’s mom died of pancreatic cancer when she was 7, and the young nursing student has recently discovered an organization dedicated to funding research to help with early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. She’s hoping to pitch her idea to the powers that be at Family Feud.

“It would be nice to go on the show again and play specifically for that organization. We’d have two Bailey teams playing against each other,” she said.

“It could be boys vs. girls, siblings vs. in-laws, youngest vs. oldest. It wouldn’t matter. All the money would go to the pancreatic cancer organization,” Noraline said.

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at sue.thoensen@latimes.com.