Former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher and his wife Liz have opened up about a past dream that "didn't pan out" during an appearance on James Martin's Saturday Morning. The couple, who now star in the ITV series Fletchers' Family Farm, revealed that their original plan was to move to America, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans.
A Dream Deferred
Speaking on the show, which airs on 13th June at 9.30am on ITV1, Kelvin explained that after his 20-year stint on Emmerdale, he and Liz, both actors, decided to pursue a new challenge in Hollywood. "We thought, why not? Let's go to Hollywood and LA and see what happens," Liz recalled. They had already sold their house and were mentally prepared for the move when the pandemic struck.
Liz elaborated: "We only had two children at the time, but unfortunately COVID stopped that. They actually stopped the visas. We never got the visas completed because they said there'll be a pause on this for at least two years. But we'd mentally moved on, hadn't we? And we'd sold the house. We were like, 'Well, what are we gonna do now?' That's when we saw the farm."
From LA to the Peak District
The couple's pivot from Los Angeles to a 120-acre farm in the Peak District was unexpected. Kelvin noted the irony of his situation: "I was playing a farmer for 20 years, but as you'll know with soaps, did very little farming. It was more shooting people with shotguns, going to prison, getting married three or four times." Despite this, life imitated art, and the Fletchers embraced their new rural lifestyle.
Liz admitted that the move was initially about seeking a quieter life for their young children. "We went there just for a quieter life, obviously with young children, being a bit more connected with nature and being in the countryside," she said. However, their farming journey began almost accidentally when they acquired a few sheep and quickly became "obsessed."
An Unexpected Passion
Kelvin confessed that farming has become a genuine passion. "We're only a small family farm, but it's just been a bit overwhelming at times, but we've become obsessed and honestly, James, I can't imagine us doing anything other than what we're doing now. I love it." Liz added that she values the opportunity to "amend your failings" on the farm, a sentiment that reflects their hands-on approach.
Reflecting on their abandoned US dream, Liz concluded: "Looking back, I don't think we would've lasted two minutes in LA!" The couple's series, Fletchers' Family Farm, and James Martin's Saturday Morning are both available to stream on ITVX.
