Jim Bob Duggar responds to critics of '19 Kids & Counting'

HANNIBAL, Mo., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Jim Bob Duggar isn't concerned by critics of 19 Kids & Counting.

The 49-year-old reality star declared as much in a press conference at Hannibal La-Grange University. A Change.org petition to have the TLC reality series canceled recently garnered over 180,000 signatures, but Duggar said the appeal merely increased his family's fame.

"They won't succeed," he asserted. "Our show is the number one show on TLC. We love everybody. It's a small group creating this fuss. All it has done is give us more exposure. We've gained 50,000 Facebook fans last week. God is expanding our borders through the national media."

Jim Bob and wife Michelle Duggar caused outrage by reportedly deleting photos of same-sex couples from their Facebook kissing post in November. The petition, which seeks to end the family's alleged "discrimination, hate and fear-mongering," gained momentum in the wake of the controversy.

The Duggars have starred on 19 Kids & Counting since 2008. The program documents the couple's day-to-day lives with their 19 children, whose ages range from 4 to 26. The family are devout Independent Baptists.