Kelvin Fletcher, who played Andy Sugden in Emmerdale, has opened up about his new life on a farm in the Peak District with his wife Liz and their four young children
Former Emmerdale heartthrob Kelvin Fletcher has opened up about finding true value in life after trading the drama of the Dales for the tranquillity of farm living. The actor, famed for his role as Andy Sugden on the popular ITV soap, has embraced a radical change of pace alongside his wife Liz Marsland and their children.
The couple took the plunge into pastoral paradise with their four kids, purchasing a sprawling 120-acre farm in the Peak District back in 2021. The Fletchers’ new rural routine is a far cry from showbiz glitz, complete with 100 sheep, 30 pigs, 10 horses, six chickens, a cat, and Ginger the dog. Despite a rocky patch in their relationship, which saw them briefly part ways amid a flurry of saucy messages from fans to Kelvin, they’ve since mended fences and are now thriving amidst the greenery.
Kelvin, appearing on BBC Breakfast, shared heartfelt sentiments about his current lifestyle: “I think for me, I personally don’t want to seek any sort of validation elsewhere. I know how valued we are as a family and what we do in our small family farm, and I share that with every other family farm.”
He continued, expressing a deep respect for their role as farmers: “You take great pride in producing food and having a real acknowledgement towards nature, towards the habitat. You’re a custodian of the land, and it’s a privilege,” reports the Mirror.
The Fletcher family’s bucolic journey has been captured for television in the series Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure and Fletchers’ Family Farm, with viewers set to be treated to a festive peek at their lives in an upcoming Christmas special on ITV this Sunday.
Kelvin opened up about his hopes for his farming show, revealing his intent to “bridge the gap” between farmers and the public by sharing the origins of their food. He believes that with understanding comes appreciation, noting: “Once you get an understanding of something, like any subject, then appreciation follows, and that’s what we all endeavour to do.”
In a throwback to his days as a heartthrob, Kelvin reminisced about the challenges of fame affecting his personal life. Back in 2010, he experienced a barrage of flirty texts and images from fans which played a role in his temporary split from his partner.
A source told The Sun at the time: “Liz has always been jealous of the attention Kelvin receives. He is always getting stopped by girls wanting his autograph when he’s on nights out. Kelvin assures her nothing goes on, but over the years, it has worn her down, and she decided that she just couldn’t continue seeing him.”
The couple managed to work through their issues and got back together. Kelvin acknowledged the difficulty his on-screen romantic scenes posed for his partner.
He shared his coping strategy with The Sun, saying: “I do ring her up and say, ‘I’m kissing so-and-so today’ and make a joke about it. That’s how we deal with it. But Liz won’t watch the show because she gets too jealous. To me, though, it’s just work.”
The actor confessed that he understands why his partner might be irked by his interactions with enthusiastic fans, but Liz has come to terms with it and it’s no longer a point of contention in their relationship. Kelvin first crossed paths with his wife Liz, 40, when they were just eight years old, but they officially became an item later in life after reconnecting in 2009.
They then tied the knot six years later in a grand ceremony at London’s One Mayfair.