Our Yorkshire Farm

Our Yorkshire Farm star Clive Owen opens up about a travel mishap during his Ireland trip with sons Miles and Sid in Channel 5 series Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales

Clive Owen found himself having to explain a “little incident” that happened away from the cameras, after his sons raised concerns.

The farmer, who has nine children with Amanda Owen, has been appearing in his eldest son Reuben’s Channel 5 programme, Life in the Dales.

The show follows the family, who rose to prominence on Our Yorkshire Farm, as they continue to document the ups and downs of their farming life.

A recent instalment saw Clive venture beyond the Dales on a road trip to Ireland with his sons Miles and Sid, as they took part in the All Nations Shearing Champions.

However, the journey proved far from plain sailing for Clive, as he revealed he had suffered an “incident” along the way, reports the Express.

Upon arriving at the competition in Donegal, ahead of the two-day event, Clive declared: “Well boys we’re here. The sheep pens are empty but they’ll be coming we hope.”

The narrator then observed: “With the chill of yesterday’s storm still in the air, there’s a memory the boys haven’t quite shaken.”

Sid enquired: “Are you feeling better after yesterday?”

The farmer brushed it aside, responding: “You don’t let me forget yesterday, you guys. My little incident on the ship…”

Miles chipped in: “That sea air was getting to you.”

Clive then put his sons’ minds at rest: “No I’m fine, so forget all about it.”

The narrator continued: “Unlikely, but with prize sheep, sizzling stalls of Irish grub and more vintage tractors than you can shake a spanner at, Clive’s little incident might slip off the radar.”

Miles then jokingly questioned whether his dad was “up to” judging, as he commented: “You look the part but whether you’re up to it…”

“Just remember, the judge is always right,” Clive hit back.

Ahead of heading off on their lengthy journey, marking Sid and Miles’ first time outside the country, Clive shared his concerns about leaving the farm.

He told Reuben: “I’m going to take Miles and Sid because they’ve never been on a ship and they’ve never been overseas.”

He went on to the camera: “I used to skive off school and go and watch these famous sales and watch these great men sell these wonderful sheep and dream that maybe one day it might be me.

“For me, to eventually breed a Champion myself, that’s pretty amazing, actually. We called him Glory and sold him for £28,000 which was amazing.

“Fellas that go and judge like myself, know how hard it is to breed these things. So I see it as a great responsibility and a great honour to judge.

“It’s a tough thing to do because you don’t make everybody happy when you judge sheep.”

Before setting off, Miles and Sid shared their excitement for the ferry, with the former saying: “Yeah, they reckon it will be a bit stormy.”

“Hope you don’t get sea sick,” Reuben warned, while his girlfriend reassured: “You’ll be fine!”

After asking if Sid has ever been abroad before, he replied: “No I haven’t, this will be the first time.”

Clive added, “It’s quite a journey,” before sharing his concerns for travelling through the Irish sea before hitting the sheep competition.

“Tomorrow, there’s a big storm passing through so I’m quite worried about the crossing, how rough it will be.

“Whether we’re ill or anything, I would not like that to happen but we shall see.”

Reuben replied: “Well have a good time you three,” as they set off, with Clive saying, “Have a good time you three.”

“Miss you already,” Reuben called after them.

Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales is available to watch on Channel 5.

Reuben Owen and his girlfriend Jessica Ellwood have been together since October 2024 and are starring in the new series of Life in the Dales on Channel 5

Reuben Owen and girlfriend Jessica Ellwood are back on our screens for another series of Life In The Dales.

The Channel 5 show chronicles the young farmer’s journey through the ups and downs of managing a machinery business at Ravenseat, the sprawling 2,000-acre family farm in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, where he honed his skills under the guidance of his parents, Clive and Amanda Owen.

Reuben, 22, first captured the nation’s hearts on Our Yorkshire Farm before Life In The Dales launched in 2024.

Beyond showcasing his farming exploits, he regularly offers fans a peek into his personal life with Jessica.

Jessica herself comes from a farming background, working on her parents’ Brough Castle farm, which houses hundreds of animals, reports the Express.

The couple got together in October 2024, and have since shared some loved-up posts on social media, marking Valentine’s Day, their anniversary and spending Christmas together.

They met at a young farmers’ convention, with Jessica later sharing on the show: “Ever since we first met, we just clicked. I think it’s because I’m from a farming background, so’s Reuben.”

She added: “I just love him to bits. Love his family, get on great with them.”

Reuben meanwhile told OK magazine: “It took me a while to ask her out, I wasn’t that brave but I just asked her one night, we went out for some tea one night and I’d lost my wallet and she had to pay for my dinner!”

In a previous interview with The Mirror, Reuben shared how his family reacted to Jessica, saying: “Mum and Jess get on well, they talk about sheep together, they all approve and they all get along really well.”

The couple are also planning on moving in together soon, as he added: “We’re just waiting for something to come up. I’ve got to try and get a nice place, get a bit of a farm somewhere one day.

“It would be ideal to have a farm where I can park my diggers and she can have her sheep and cows.”

When probed on the prospect of starting a family, referencing his parents’ large brood, he quipped: “I don’t think I fancy nine of them, I don’t fancy nine at all. We’ll have to wait and see.”

In a 2023 article for Farmers Guardian, Jessica, then 18, spoke about growing up on Brough Castle Farm in Cumbria.

She said: “Farming is in my blood: I grew up on Brough Castle Farm and remember helping my mum and dad in the fields from a young age. Since then, it is all I have ever wanted to do.

“I am now working full-time alongside my dad and taking on more responsibilities for different parts of the farm, which is really exciting. I have always loved working with animals too, particularly cows and sheep; they have their own personalities and I feel like I know them all. Because I have grown up with them since I was very little, I see all the animals as part of our family.”

Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales airs Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 5.