Stars from Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales have opened up about a heartbreaking family bereavement as the Channel 5 programme concluded its third season. The final episode focused on Reuben's girlfriend Jess and her family farm during lambing season, featuring emotional scenes of her rescuing newborn lambs and speaking candidly about her passion for farming inherited from her father Dave.
Family Tragedy and Resilience
Jess revealed she never got to meet her grandfather, who died before she was born. Her father Dave recalled how Jess would help with lambs as a young child, calling those days "the best days." Dave shared that he was just 14 when his father Thomas was diagnosed with leukaemia, forcing him to step up on the family dairy farm. He said: "I was only 16 when he died."
Jess asked: "It must have been hard, doing a hard job and that happening at the same time." Dave replied: "You just have to keep going. Even if my dad hadn't been ill, I would have still taken up farming, I loved it. I loved cows, just like you do."
Legacy and Continuation
In a previous episode, Jess visited her grandfather's grave, with Reuben saying: "Sadly, I never met him." Jess then spoke with her grandmother, saying: "Ever since I was small, we've always done jobs as a family really, Nana has always been there helping out. I miss grandad, I really do miss grandad. It's not the same anymore since he died." Jess' grandfather George died in 2018 at age 70.
The Channel 5 narrator revealed that Jess' grandfather inherited Brough Castle Farm at age 18 and dedicated his life to it. Reflecting on his legacy, Jess told her Nana: "I think he'd be happy to see where it's at now, things have carried on." Her Nana replied: "You've taken over, it's like passing on the baton, and he would have been thrilled to bits to see what you have done since he died, and hopefully the next generation will pick up that baton and run with it like you have."
Deep-Rooted Passion for Farming
Jess has previously spoken about her love for farming in a 2023 article for Farmers Guardian, where the then-18-year-old 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 is available to watch on Channel 5.
