Amanda Owen, the star of Channel 4's Our Yorkshire Farm, has delivered a stinging rebuke to online critics who have accused her of being a 'fake' farmer. The 51-year-old, known as the Yorkshire Shepherdess, took to Instagram on Friday to share a series of candid snaps from her working week, directly confronting the negativity head-on.
A Direct Response to 'Smoke and Mirrors' Claims
The mother-of-nine has faced a recent slew of social media comments suggesting her farming life is merely a performance for television. In a pointed response to one such remark that labelled her all 'smoke and mirrors', Amanda posted a gallery of images showcasing the gritty reality of her daily routine. She accompanied the photos with a powerful statement, writing: 'Am I perfect? No. Am I fake? No. Am I a real person, flaws and all? Yes.'
Her post continued with a message of resilience, hoping to inspire others to embrace their unique selves. 'So here’s just a few images from the last few weeks. Hopefully a few folk may feel inspired, take courage to be their own unique selves and refuse to be held back,' she wrote. She acknowledged that most would simply scroll past, but had a final word for her detractors: 'A very small number of people will be enraged. Enjoy. Not sorry.'
Contrasting Glamour and Grit on the Farm
The photos shared by Owen illustrated the stark contrast in her life. One image showed her dressed up for a public event, while others provided an unvarnished look at her tending to livestock and managing the demanding tasks on her family's Ravenseat Farm in Swaledale, Yorkshire. This is not the first time she has felt compelled to defend her authenticity. Just last month, she posted a video highlighting the dichotomy between a glamorous evening as a celebrity speaker and the following day spent loading sheep in the pouring rain for market.
Fans Rally in Support of the 'Real Farmer'
Followers and fans were quick to flood the comments with messages of support, vehemently defending Amanda's credentials as a genuine farmer. One long-time viewer wrote: 'Been watching for years and following a long time - she IS a real farmer and Lordy, she works hard!' Others praised her work ethic and authenticity, with comments such as 'Don't justify yourself to anyone Amanda. What you do speaks for itself' and 'Loving the contrast, and you can definitely do both, perfectly.'
Amanda Owen and her family have offered a window into rural life since their show, Our Yorkshire Farm, first aired in 2018. The programme, which documented life with her now ex-husband Clive and their nine children, remains popular and is available to stream on Channel 5. Through her latest social media posts, Owen continues to assert that the reality of her farming life is far from a television facade.
