Reuben Owen and his girlfriend Jessica Ellwood are back on television screens for another series of Life in the Dales. The Channel 5 programme follows the young farmer as he manages a machinery business at Ravenseat, the sprawling 2,000-acre family farm in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, where he learned his skills from his parents, Clive and Amanda Owen.
How They Met
Reuben, 22, first won the hearts of the nation on Our Yorkshire Farm before Life in the Dales launched in 2024. Beyond his farming exploits, he regularly offers fans a glimpse into his personal life with Jessica. Jessica comes from a farming background herself, working on her parents' Brough Castle farm, which houses hundreds of animals. The couple got together in October 2024 and have since shared loved-up posts on social media, marking Valentine's Day, their anniversary, and spending Christmas together.
They met at a young farmers' convention, with Jessica later sharing on the show: "Ever since we first met, we just clicked. I think it's because I'm from a farming background, so's Reuben." She added: "I just love him to bits. Love his family, get on great with them."
Moving In Together
Reuben told OK! magazine: "It took me a while to ask her out, I wasn't that brave but I just asked her one night, we went out for some tea one night and I'd lost my wallet and she had to pay for my dinner!" In a previous interview with The Mirror, Reuben shared how his family reacted to Jessica, saying: "Mum and Jess get on well, they talk about sheep together, they all approve and they all get along really well."
The couple are also planning on moving in together soon, as he added: "We're just waiting for something to come up. I've got to try and get a nice place, get a bit of a farm somewhere one day. It would be ideal to have a farm where I can park my diggers and she can have her sheep and cows."
Future Plans
When asked about the prospect of starting a family, referencing his parents' large brood, he quipped: "I don't think I fancy nine of them, I don't fancy nine at all. We'll have to wait and see." In a 2023 article for Farmers Guardian, Jessica, then 18, spoke about growing up on Brough Castle Farm in Cumbria. She said: "Farming is in my blood: I grew up on Brough Castle Farm and remember helping my mum and dad in the fields from a young age. Since then, it is all I have ever wanted to do. I am now working full-time alongside my dad and taking on more responsibilities for different parts of the farm, which is really exciting. I have always loved working with animals too, particularly cows and sheep; they have their own personalities and I feel like I know them all. Because I have grown up with them since I was very little, I see all the animals as part of our family."
Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales airs Tuesdays at 8pm on Channel 5.
