The world of young farmers Reuben Owen and Jess Ellwood is one of mud, machinery, and immense heart, a life measured not in hours but in seasons and sunrises. For this couple, both 22, there is rarely a quiet moment, but their busy lives on the land have recently been brightened by a particularly adorable new arrival. Beyond the lambs, diggers, and filming schedules for their hit Channel 5 show, Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales, their family has grown by one very fluffy member. This is Fluff, a three-week-old pet lamb who has effortlessly claimed a central place in their home and hearts. Her story began with a difficult start, common in the raw reality of farming. As Jess explains, during the intense lambing season, Fluff’s mother accidentally stood on her leg, breaking it. Rather than let her struggle, Jess and Reuben intervened, deciding to take her in as a permanent resident. “She’s going to be our pet sheep now—she’ll live with us forever,” Jess says, noting that Fluff has already been spoiled with nights sleeping on a blanket indoors. In a life often defined by practical outcomes, Fluff represents a joyful exception, a creature to be cuddled and cherished, unlike the turkeys they reared for Christmas that Jess’s nana grew attached to. For Reuben, she is their first true pet, though he jokes she feels more like a child given the devoted care they provide.
This blend of tenderness and toil perfectly encapsulates the life Reuben and Jess have built together, a partnership that blossomed from a meeting at a Young Farmers’ convention and has now evolved into a shared home at Jess’s family farm at Brough Castle in Cumbria. Reuben, who found early fame alongside his parents and eight siblings on Our Yorkshire Farm, has seamlessly integrated into Jess’s world. He recounts the natural progression of their cohabitation with a smile: it began with a toothbrush left behind, then his pants in the washing machine, and his dinner waiting on the table. Now fully moved in, he speaks with genuine warmth about Jess’s family, who have welcomed him with open arms. Jess agrees, noting that since he was practically always there, making it official simply made sense. Their romance is rooted in a deep, shared understanding of the farming life—a world of 5 a.m. starts and 15-hour days during lambing, where a “date night” might be a cosy evening in with fish and chips or a Chinese takeaway after a long day among the sheep. It’s a far cry from a typical life for twenty-somethings, but for them, it’s a perfect match. As Reuben puts it, in each other they have found someone who truly “gets the beauty of farming life.”
Their days are filled with the demanding, yet rewarding, work of farming and running Reuben’s budding machinery business, a venture he started with the crucial encouragement of his father, Clive. While his parents, Amanda (the famed “Yorkshire Shepherdess”) and Clive, dedicated themselves to livestock, Reuben’s passion lies in diggers and mechanics—a skill he believes skipped a generation, inherited from his maternal grandfather. He speaks with profound gratitude for his dad’s guidance, recalling how Clive advised him to simply “have a go” when starting the business, offering hands-on help and wisdom. This tight-knit family bond remains strong despite his parents’ separation, and Reuben expresses immense pride in how they raised their nine children, instilling a formidable work ethic he carries today. This theme of intergenerational learning and family partnership is echoed by Jess, who learned everything she knows about farming from her own father and now teaches her younger sister. Their story highlights how farming is less a job and more a legacy, a continuous thread of knowledge and love passed down through the generations.
Of course, life on the farm isn’t all heartwarming moments with baby lambs; it’s also punctuated by laughter and lighthearted misadventures. Reuben fondly recalls a recent, comically failed attempt to catch a sheep with Jess, where they managed to corner the animal, only to charge at it simultaneously, crash into each other, and tumble head over heels into a heap while the sheep trotted away, seemingly smirking. These moments of shared humour and minor catastrophe are the glue of their relationship, proving that even the frustrating tasks are better faced together. Reuben notes that his favourite jobs are the ones he gets to do alongside Jess, and now that he keeps his diggers at her farm, he can pop in for an ice cream and a visit mid-workday. This ability to find joy and partnership in the daily grind transforms the work from a burden into a shared purpose, a sentiment that resonates deeply with viewers who find their show a refreshing antidote to a often grim news cycle.
As the latest series of Life in the Dales unfolds, fans will see this balance of hard work and family celebration continue. The show captures milestones like Clive’s 70th birthday, marked with a spectacular hot air balloon ride over Brough Castle—a moment Reuben says he will remember forever. Through it all, the couple remains grounded in their appreciation for the life they’ve chosen. They acknowledge the stress, the exhaustion, and the heartache when things go wrong with the livestock, but they counter it with an unwavering gratitude for the gift of working alongside family. Jess sums it up perfectly, stating that spending that time together is precious, and it is farming that provides that unique opportunity.
Ultimately, the story of Reuben Owen and Jess Ellwood is a modern rural idyll, one where love is expressed through shared labour, where family extends across generations and species, and where success is measured in healthy flocks, functioning machinery, and a happy home. With Fluff the lamb bleating in the background, his diggers parked outside, and Jess by his side, Reuben has carved out a life that honours his heritage while building a future entirely his own. Their journey, filled with both the sublime and the silly, continues to charm audiences, offering a heartfelt glimpse into a world where the simplest moments—a rescued lamb, a shared laugh in a muddy field, a parent’s proud smile—are the most profound.
