Reuben Owen, star of Channel 5's Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales, and his girlfriend Jess Ellwood have officially moved in together at Jess's family farm in Brough Castle, Cumbria. However, their new home already has a third resident: a three-week-old lamb named Fluff, whose leg was broken by her mother shortly after birth.
Jess explained: 'We have a new pet. This is Fluff. She's quite precious. Lambing can be tough... lots can go wrong. When Fluff was born, her mum accidentally stood on her leg and it broke. So, we've taken her in and she's going to be our pet sheep now - she'll live with us forever.' Reuben added: 'Our first pet, although she's more like our child the way we look after her. She's so cute.'
The couple, both 22, met at a Young Farmers' convention in 2024 and went public with their romance that November. Reuben, who runs a machinery business at his family's 2,000-acre farm in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, said of moving in: 'I used to come down of a night to see Jess and I just wouldn't want to leave her. And then you stay another night, and another. It started with a toothbrush, and now my pants are in the washing machine and my dinner is on the table.'
Reuben found fame on Our Yorkshire Farm alongside his parents, Amanda and Clive, and his eight siblings. His own show, now in a new series airing from May 5, follows his machinery business and family life. In the upcoming episodes, the family celebrates Clive's 70th birthday with a hot air balloon ride over Brough Castle.
Reuben credited his parents for his work ethic: 'I watched them graft for everything they have, and now I work hard too.' He also inherited a passion for heavy machinery from his grandfather, a mechanic. 'It's nice to know I'm keeping that tradition alive,' he said.
