Reuben Owen moves in with Jess Ellwood at Cumbria farm
reuben owen has moved in with Jess Ellwood at her family farm in Brough Castle, Cumbria. The TV farmer said he is “all in,” turning a relationship that started in 2024 into a shared home and working routine. Their latest update lands just as his series returns on May 5.
Brough Castle home life
“I used to come down of a night to see Jess and I just wouldn’t want to leave her,” Owen said. “And then you stay another night, and another. It started with a toothbrush, and now my pants are in the washing machine and my dinner is on the table. Now I'm all in. We're loving our time together, it just gets better and better. It’s brilliant being with Jess’ family too, they’re such a lovely bunch.”
Ellwood kept the move-in matter-of-fact. “He was there all the time anyway, it just made sense. It's so lovely living together, really special. We do go out for the odd meal for a date night, and we went on holiday together to Cyprus last year. But, mainly - when we’re not working - you'll find us cosying up with fish and chips or a Chinese takeaway,” she said.
Fluff at home
Fluff, their three-week-old lamb, has become part of the same domestic picture. Ellwood said, “We have a new pet. This is Fluff. She’s quite precious. Lambing can be tough... lots can go wrong.” She added that Fluff’s mum accidentally stood on her leg and broke it when she was born, so the pair took her in and plan for her to live with them forever as their pet sheep.
“When Fluff was born, her mum accidentally stood on her leg and it broke. So, we've taken her in and she's going to be our pet sheep now - she'll live with us forever. She’s even been in the house, sleeping on a blanket. Nana was quite attached to the turkeys, which we reared last year to be eaten at Christmas, but you can't cuddle them like you do a lamb!” Ellwood said. Owen called her “Our first pet, although she’s more like our child the way we look after her. She’s so cute. When she sees Jess her little face absolutely lights up. She’s starting to get to know her name now too.”
May 5 on Channel 5
Owen and Ellwood met at a Young Farmers' convention in 2024 and went public with their romance in November 2024. His return to Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales on May 5 keeps that relationship in the frame while he runs a machinery business at Ravenseat, the 2,000-acre family farm in Swaledale, North Yorks.
That combination is the point: this is no longer just a dating update, but a working and living arrangement tied to the show’s appeal. Owen came to TV through Our Yorkshire Farm, while his parents, Amanda and Clive, split up in 2022, so the series now follows a different family setup as well as a new household.
