Reuben Owen, star of Channel 5's 'Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales', has revealed he once dug his tractor out of heavy snow to reach girlfriend Jess Ellwood, declaring he would do it 'a thousand times' for her. The couple, who met at a Young Farmers' convention in 2024, have not spent a day apart since, despite the harsh winters on Reuben's 2,000-acre family farm, Ravenseat, in Swaledale, North Yorkshire.
Reuben, 22, said: 'It snows heavily where we are. We got snowed in last year. It took me a long time to get the tractor started and even longer to dig myself out of the snow but I did it. I dug myself out of the snow to get to Jess.' Despite the romantic gesture, he admits he would prefer a rainy Christmas, joking: 'I'd rather it rained, so I could just drive over.'
The couple, who went public last November, are now preparing for a busy festive season. A Christmas special airing on December 23 will show them converting an old barn on Jess's family farm at Brough Castle into a venue for a festive feast. Jess, 21, lives there with her parents, nana, and a menagerie of animals including 400 sheep, 80 milk cows, and 200 cattle.
This year, the couple decided to rear turkeys from chicks for their Christmas dinner, but the birds have proved troublesome. Jess laughed: 'Those turkeys have given us the run around. They've escaped so many times... It takes three people to round one bird up. Poor nana has been out in the freezing cold some nights in her nightie and slippers.'
Reuben, who rose to fame on 'Our Yorkshire Farm' with his parents Amanda and Clive Owen and eight siblings, says Christmas on the farm is chaotic but special. 'All our jobs still had to get done before we could open our presents,' he recalled. Jess added: 'It's the most difficult bit of farming - you never get days off. The hardest bit is constantly being tired.'
Despite the challenges, Reuben emphasises the importance of appreciating the work behind Christmas dinner. 'Christmas is truly a time we should realise just how much work goes into our dinner. The people behind the food, the preparation and hours people put in,' he said.
