Turkeys, tinsel… and tractors – life on the farm never stops for lovebirds Reuben Owen and girlfriend Jess Ellwood, even at Christmas. Speaking to The Mirror they exclusively reveal they are yet to spend a day apart…
Reuben says: “I dug myself out of the snow to get to Jess. And I’d do it again a thousand times.”(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
Even an avalanche would not keep Reuben Owen and his girlfriend Jess Ellwood apart – which is a good job, as TV’s favourite farming couple prepare for Christmas in deepest North Yorkshire.
Proudly declaring that they’ve not spent a day apart since they met at a Young Farmers’ convention in 2024 and immediately hit it off, Reuben says: “It snows heavily where we are,” says Rebuen, who lives and works at Ravenseat, his 2000-acre family farm in Swaledale, North Yorkshire. He runs a machinery business from the plot.
“We got snowed in last year. I’ve seen Jess every single day since we got together. And it was going to be the only day I hadn’t seen her. But I wasn’t going to let a little (or a lot) of snow stop me from getting to my love. It took me a long time to get the tractor started and even longer to dig myself out of the snow but I did it. I dug myself out of the snow to get to Jess. And I’d do it again a thousand times.”
READ MORE: Our Yorkshire Farm’s Reuben Owen and girlfriend supported as they celebrate wedding
While his wildly romantic gesture will impress fans who tune in to Channel 5’s Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales, he is not sentimental about spending a white Christmas with Jess, 21, saying: “I’d rather it rained, so I could just drive over.”
Reuben and Jess went public about their romance last November(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
The couple, who went public about their romance last November, have the blessing of their families and of their devoted viewers. Reuben, 22, rose to fame in Our Yorkshire Farm, starring with his parents, Amanda and Clive Owen, who split up in 2022 after 22 years of marriage, and his eight siblings – Raven, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine, and Nancy. Now his own show is a massive hit, the Christmas special of which, airing on December 23, will show everyone’s favourite characters coming together to convert an old barn on Jess’ family farm, ready for a festive feast.
Lovebirds Reuben and Jess spend much of his time on the site at Brough Castle, living alongside Jess’ mum Sarah, dad Dave, nana Diane, 400 sheep, 80 milk cows, three horses, 200 cattle, two cats and three dogs.
Reuben and Jess with their turkeys(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
“When it snows, it freezes all the water pipes for the animals. You have to blow torch it by hand – all the troughs too. It takes ages. So we are not dreaming of a white Christmas,” laughs Jess. “Last year we had to put heaters in the milking parlours because it got down to minus 10.”
There’s a lovely connection between the two families, dating back to long before the young couple met. “Jess’ grandad used to raise hundreds of turkeys for Christmas every year, and when I was a boy my dad would come to the farm to buy the biggest one for our Christmas dinner,” says Reuben.
So things came full circle when, this year, the couple decided to rear turkeys from chicks for their Christmas dinner – and a festive feast on the show. “We do rue the day we decided to do that though,” laughs Jess.
Reuben once used a tractor to dig his way out of the snow to get to Jess(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
“Those turkeys have given us the run around. They’ve escaped so many times, we’ve had to rebuild their fences twice. They’re not like sheep – they’re chaotic – it takes three people to round one bird up. Poor nana has been out in the freezing cold some nights in her nightie and slippers, rounding them back into their pen. The CCTV has us all in stitches. They’ve certainly made us work for our supper.”
Christmas on the farm is a busy time of year. “Everyone works together to get it done. Christmas was always chaos at my house growing up – and it still is to be honest. There are eight of us kids, so it was loud and exciting,” says Reuben.
But farming never stops – not even on Christmas Day. “All our jobs still had to get done before we could open our presents,” says Reuben. The animals are just as hungry as we are!” Jess adds: “It’s the most difficult bit of farming – you never get days off. It’s back breaking work sometimes. The hardest bit is constantly being tired.” The run up to Christmas, especially.
Reuben is the son of Amanda Owen, The Yorkshire Shepherdess(Image: INSTAGRAM/REUBEN OWEN)
“Christmas is truly a time we should realise just how much work goes into our dinner. The people behind the food, the preparation and hours people put in,” says Reuben. “All the animals, the veg has been planted months earlier, and a bad bit of weather comes and it all goes to pot. The amount of hours that go into getting it from the field to the table – I wish people knew.”
Reuben and Jess are the next generation of British farmers – keeping traditional skills alive and working in the community. “Our lives are quite different I would assume to the average 20 something,” says Reuben. “But around here it’s normal for us, there are a lot of young people working in agriculture, who grew up on farms.”
Jess adds: “Compared to someone who doesn’t farm, it’s a very different life. But there are more and more young people getting involved. I went to agricultural college and we had the highest number of students in our year ever recorded. And half boys and half girls. So things are certainly changing for the better. It’s much needed and it’s exciting to be part of the change.
Reuben shot to fame on Our Yorkshire Farm(Image: Renegade Pictures)
“Being a girl in agriculture is great. There are a few of us around here too – I’ve got lots of friends who work with their dads.” Jess’ very first memories are of farming with dad Dave. “I remember the sheep and the cows. I was in amongst it all from birth. I’ve never considered doing anything else – I’ve wanted to help dad since I was small. There’s a lovely sense of freedom to farming. We’re out in all weather. And I get to drive a tractor.”
Reuben adds, proudly: “She’s great with a machine…” Now the couple are looking forward to their Christmas TV special. “It’s tinsel, tractors and turkeys galore! It was a big team effort, everyone had a job. Jess was stirring concrete, I was lugging stone flags around, all the familiar faces from the show lent a hand – from Sonny and Capper, too, and my brothers Miles and Sid, and my dad Clive – even the production team got involved to get it all done,” says Reuben.
Now finished, the couple have big plans for the space. There may even be wedding bells… “We’ve talked about using it as a wedding venue, but I couldn’t possibly say if there will be a ring under the tree for Jess this year.”
Reuben & Jess(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
They also hope the barn could generate extra income. “Nowadays the margins are so tight with farming people have to do other things to create an income,” Reuben explains. “Years and years ago farms like this would have been fine, they’d have made good money. But now, with how food prices are – you have to diversify to keep going.
“Milk is as cheap as water, if not cheaper. This life can be quite stressful. It’s why it’s so important that we have a community nearby. Everyone comes together and helps. I have my staff – who are my friends. We both have family farms. We help each other’s families out. It brings us all very close together.”
This year, Reuben and Jess’ families will get together to celebrate. “At Christmas our families will get together. It’ll be a full house! It’s a good job we live on farms,” says Reuben. “I’ll probably wake up at Jess’ family farm, have lunch with her and then we’ll head home for a second Christmas dinner at my family farm. And at some point, the whole lot of us will get together for a damson gin, made by Jess’ nana.”
And in the absence of a diamond ring, what can Jess expect to find under the tree on Christmas Day? “Last year I got my mum some stone troughs last year for Christmas to go to a house that she’s doing up. I like to get functional gifts. I got Jess’ dad, Dave, a chain. Not a necklace, mind, a tow chain from Sweden. I got Jess a cordless angle grinder. Because, of course, nothing says love like a cordless angle grinder.”
*Reuben Owen: Christmas in the Dales will air on Channel 5 on Tuesday 16th December at 8pm.
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