Two years after splitting, Our Yorkshire Farm stars Amanda Owen and Clive are reuniting for a new TV show called Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids.
As they make their comeback, the exes admit that fame – and, inevitably, Our Yorkshire Farm – was the downfall of their 22-year marriage. Together with their nine children – Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine and Nancy – they became much-loved reality TV stars on the set of the fly-on-the-wall series Our Yorkshire Farm.
Despite their amicable split, the Owenses may not be reuniting romantically, but they are filming a new series as a family renovating a remote farmhouse known as Anty John’s.
Since the end of their marriage and the end of Our Yorkshire Farm, their son Reuben has had his own debut series with Channel 5 called Life In The Dales, shining a spotlight on the young farmer and inviting cameras into his life when he went abroad to France for the first time with his then girlfriend Sarah. Their relationship also fell apart after filming.
Read more: Inside Our Yorkshire Farm star Reuben Owen’s love affair with his girlfriend before his split
As the Owens family returns to the spotlight, here’s a look at what the couple has to say about their new TV show, Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids, and the breakup of their marriage.
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and the Kids
The cameras are back in the Yorkshire Dales for a new ob-doc series that follows a Yorkshire Shepherdess and her family, including her ex-husband. In the eagerly awaited series, they set to work to transform a neighbouring property into their farm. The story will air over 10 exciting episodes and will be available on More4.
All Owens – Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda, Clive and their nine children – join forces with a team of local tradesmen to renovate the property. They face many challenges along the way, including a change of seasons, as they restore the listed property. The series will also explore the history of the remote farmhouse, its former owners and local history.
Amanda said: “It’s great that More4 has given us the opportunity to showcase what we do best, working as a team and battling the elements to restore the farm to its former glory. It’s no exaggeration to say that filming outdoors on an open hillside in Swaledale was a huge challenge at times for the Wise Owl film team, but their dedication and enthusiasm never wavered. This new project has been a huge undertaking for the whole family and we’re thrilled to be able to share it with viewers at home.”
Jayne Stanger, Channel 4’s director of broadcasting, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Amanda back to More4 and it’s a delight to be able to provide this incredible access to Amanda, Clive and their wonderful family as they embark on such a challenging refurbishment. I’ve no doubt our viewers will enjoy sharing this fascinating journey with them and enjoying the stunning Yorkshire landscape captured so brilliantly by the talented team at Wise Owl.”
Mark Robinson, executive producer at Wise Owl Films, said: “Shot over two years, this is an incredible past and present account of a house with a significant and fascinating history, lovingly brought back to life by a family from all over the Yorkshire Dales. We have had the privilege of watching ‘Anty John’s’ be reborn stone by stone, tile by tile, over four seasons in a beautiful but unforgiving location where this painstaking work is often at the mercy of nature.”
Fame ruined Amanda and Clive Owen’s marriage
In 2011, the Owens farm was featured on television for the first time in ITV’s The Dales. This set off a chain of events that would lead to the end of the couple’s 22-year marriage. First Amanda put pen to paper and began writing books and giving talks about the farm. Then the family became stars of their own reality show, Our Yorkshire Farm, which aired on Channel 5.
Speaking about the break-up of their marriage and their steady climb to fame, Amanda said every conversation started with Clive telling her that while he was there, he was looking after their babies and it didn’t matter to them who was changing nappies or ‘shearing the sheep’.
“But in truth it was important to Clive,” she wrote in a new column for The Daily Mail. Amanda said it was “difficult” for her husband to talk about farming because he made more money than farming. “Clive never liked me being away from the farm and it led to arguments. I didn’t know what to expect or what his reaction would be when I got home. I could feel the tension in the air and I was waiting to explode.”
Amanda said that behind the scenes, Clive tried to “overcompensate” whenever he saw her pushing him away. By Clive’s own admission, he was “jealous” and even “resented” his wife’s rising career success.
During the Covid pandemic in 2020, they began spending more time apart from each other and found it worked better for them. The Owens decided to split up and live in two different homes within walking distance of each other so the kids could spend time wherever they wanted.
Amanda has begun a new romantic relationship with Rob Davies, a long-time friend of both her and her estranged husband. Shepherd said the media had “torn apart” the romantic relationship and they were no longer in touch.
It was Amanda and Owen who chose to end Our Yorkshire Farm because their separation meant the Channel 5 show was never picked up. After the breakdown of their marriage, they felt their farm was “under siege” by the media, with reporters knocking on their door and leaving messages.
They both see each other as “survivors” and wonderful parents. Now, after everything, they are back together for their new TV show, although not romantically. “It’s been tough living through all of this in the public eye and who knows what the next chapter will bring,” Clive told the newspaper. “But that’s the beauty of life.”