Kelvin Fletcher and his wife Liz decided to swap city life for a farm in the Cheshire Peak District in 2021, shunning the chance to enjoy a life in sun-soaked California
Former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher sparked fury from his wife Liz as they discussed life on their farm. Kelvin, who left the soap in 2016, quit city life and moved to a farm in the Peak District in 2021.
On the Who We Are Now podcast, former Top Gear star Richard Hammond asked the couple how they were able to navigate the career change and parenting. Liz said: “It’s hard work for sure, it’s how we’ve looked at it and tried to work it out that fits for us, we’re both very passionate about hardworking, very hardworking, Kelvin would work until he dropped if he could.”
Richard replied: “I get that sense about both of you.” To which Kelvin interjected: “You won’t get it about Liz. Liz is all about balance.” Liz shot back: “I have to work, I’m a farmer who has got four kids. Kelvin, I work more than I like. In an ideal world I’d like to just chill out but we’re farmers and I’ve got four kids so I can’t.”
Liz has recently revealed she hopes their children will one day take over the farm. It came as she discussed the financial struggles facing those working in agriculture, explaining that they now plan on making money from the wool their sheep produce once they have been sheared.
She highlighted a reality facing many farmers who have had to try and diversify how they make money, saying that “farmers are struggling”. She said: “Having the kids involved and helping just makes me special, because they’ll one day, hopefully, take over me, and Kelvin can be in the Bahamas. So I’m hoping that the kids are doing all this, and we’re just sitting back, and they’re sending us money.”
Kelvin also hopes the youngsters will one day take over running the family business. He said: “You know what I would actually love, let’s say in, I don’t know, 20 years from now, that I’m just kind of the farm handyman, the farm labourer, and that the kids are running a big farming enterprise.”
“Yeah, do you think you’ll let go, though?” Liz asked. “Do you think you’ll let go of that control? Because, knowing you, I can’t imagine it.” Reflecting on it, Kelvin observed: “I think that’s probably the hardest thing for most farming families to let go.”
As well as their farm, Kelvin and Liz now run a holiday cottage in the Peak District. A two-night stay in Stag Cottage, which sleeps six people, can cost around £1,300, although the property is booked out for most of the year. During an episode of Fletcher’s Family Farm, Liz said: “Since we put the cottage up for rent as a holiday let, it has just gone crazy. We put it online for about two days, and the year literally sold out….It’s just gone above and beyond our expectations.”
Kelvin has sweetly described the cottage as his wife’s “baby”, adding that if he ever can’t find her, he knows she’ll be “spending her time on her new obsession”. Guests have described the cottage as “cosy”, although that doesn’t mean it lacks space, with three king-size bedrooms, one with its own en-suite, and several communal spaces.
Fletcher’s Family Farm returns to screens from 11.30am on ITV One today (April 5). This week’s episode will see the family juggling scanning time on the farm. They will discover if their three male tups have managed to get the ewes in lamb. Meanwhile Liz and Kelvin were promoting their first farmers market.
Their four children will also be seen getting involved in farming life. Marnie will be making a decision on what prime cuts of meat she wants to sell, while Milo helps his dad load up the Jacob sheep that will be heading to the butcher.
