Sick comments from trolls nearly cost Amanda her life, says Clive Owen

Amanda and Clive Owen sit together on the couch as their children come home from school. They look like a happy family.

But the sheep farming reality TV stars are no longer a couple and admit they never expected to get along so well after a difficult split two years ago.

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“We’re getting to a good point, but it’s been very difficult,” says Amanda, 49.

“You won’t see us holding hands or skipping off into the sunset. We still bicker. We care about each other, but we’re not a couple.

“We have to get on with our lives because we have nine children and animals to feed.

“I’m glad we can sit together quietly, because there was a time when we couldn’t have foreseen this.

“We are still here today because of the honest recognition of our own shortcomings.

“Maybe we know more about each other now. I feel like I can talk to Clive openly and honestly in a way that I couldn’t before.”

Their split may have come as a surprise to viewers of Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm, but the former couple say it was a long time coming.

“I know people talk about the pressures of television, but that’s nothing compared to the pressures of farming, bad weather and raising nine children,” says Amanda.

“You’re working all the time, it’s really 24/7.

“We always maintained that we could weather any storm, but this was truly a storm on a different level.”

Clive, 68, added: “It’s a sad situation but it’s not unusual. It’s just unusual that ours was so public.”

When the Owens announced their separation in 2022, they agreed to maintain a “dignified silence” about the end of their 22-year marriage.

But speculation soon arose after Amanda was accused of infidelity after it emerged she was in a relationship with web designer Robert Davies, 72.

They now claim that no one else was involved in the split. Clive even suggested that Rob would be a good match for Amanda.

‘Walking on eggshells’

Clive admits that, apart from the enormous pressures of their rural lives, his jealousy and resentment of Amanda’s success, and their 19-year age gap, were major factors.

“There are a lot of gaps filled in by people who don’t know,” says Amanda.

“I felt like ‘least said, fastest done’ was better. But that didn’t work because the void was filled with made-up stories. That was a lot of pressure. It’s a tough situation to navigate without that.”

Clive continues: “The trolls intervened. People said such horrible — and wrong — things. I don’t do internet, so it didn’t affect me the way Amanda did.

“Also, for some strange reason, I didn’t seem to get the blame, even though I saw other people. They attacked Amanda more than me. I was really worried about her. She was at a point physically and mentally where I sometimes wondered if she would survive the night.”

Amanda admits that being the subject of speculation takes its toll.

You don’t know who’s talking about you. They’re not — but you imagine they are. I wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze, I’d keep my head down

Amanda Owen

She says: “People say green space and nature help you heal your mental health. Not here. You just turn it around in your head and it eats away at you. All that speculation makes you paranoid.

“You don’t know who’s talking about you. They’re not — but you imagine they are. I wouldn’t want to meet anyone’s gaze, I’d keep my head down.

“I avoided emails, texts and phone calls from some of my closest friends because I just didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I was tired of rehashing it.”

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Clive reveals that he was worried about the pressure Amanda was under. He explains: “She went into herself. It stopped her being who she is, which is absolutely brilliant and amazing. She’s a very talented woman. She needs to hold her head up high and come out.”

Although the nation saw the Owen clan as the epitome of healthy, traditional family life, the two say they never intended to be portrayed that way.

“We never put ourselves on a pedestal and said, ‘This is how you should live your life and raise your children,’” Amanda says.

“We figured it out as we went along and did our best to overcome all the problems we encountered.

“But who wants to talk about their feelings? Who wants to go out there and say, ‘I’m really struggling, life isn’t rosy and Clive can be difficult to live with?’

“I just wanted to be everything to everyone — the best mother, the best farmer. That’s a lot. Something had to be done.”

Amanda says providing security for their children – Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine and Nancy – prompted her to write about their lives on the 2,000-acre Ravenseat farm in Swaledale.

But who wants to talk about their feelings? Who wants to go out there and say, ‘I’m really struggling, life isn’t rosy and Clive can be hard to live with?’

Amanda Owen

The success of her first book, The Yorkshire Shepherdess, led to four more bestsellers in 2015, lectures and five seasons of their low-profile TV series, which they ended due to their marital problems.

But Clive, who was 40 when he met 21-year-old Amanda, says he was unsupportive and became angry because he was jealous of her new career.

“The age difference probably played a part because I left school at 14 and for years I was completely focused and dedicated to what I wanted to be and do, which was farming,” he admits.

“When Amanda did the same thing, I didn’t handle it very well. I wasn’t as excited as I should have been, because I was where I needed to be. I should have changed.”
Amanda says she now understands his position too, adding:

“Farming was on the decline, but strangely enough, talking about farming and showing it on TV was on the rise. I thought it was a no-brainer. I didn’t expect Clive to be the breadwinner, but in retrospect I can see why he might have felt a bit emasculated.

“I came back from an event and was walking on eggshells. I started hiding a part of myself and the gap widened.

“We tried to get him to come along at one point, but it wasn’t his scene. It wasn’t really my scene, but I was driven and thought I was doing the right thing. I hoped I would make him proud.”

Clive says he “should have been proud” but admits: “I read things wrong. Now I’m here to hold my hands up.

“I don’t regret doing the show. We were proud to show our way of life and it kept the wolf out.

“It was our decision to finish the show and get some breathing room.”

Farming was on the decline, but strangely enough, talking about farming and showing it on TV was on the rise. I thought it was a no-brainer. I didn’t expect Clive to be the breadwinner, but in retrospect I can understand why he might have felt a bit neutered.

Clive Owen

According to the couple, the situation escalated during lockdown, prompting Amanda to retreat to the holiday cottage on their farm to work on her writing and escape the arguments.

“There hasn’t been a day where we’ve sat down with the kids and said, ‘Mommy and Dad are separated,’” Amanda says.

“They knew we were fighting and there was tension. It just evolved — nobody packed up and left. Not much has really changed for them.

“I only have two houses full of clutter to clean up.”

And she says of co-parenting their brood: “There will never be a time when the kids are dropped off to spend the weekend with one parent.”

‘Trying to be happy’

Clive added: “Whatever decisions we made, we made sure the kids were the priority. They’re amazing and we found a way to make it work for all of us.

“Our situation is not comparable to that of other people, because we live in this huge space and can be together, yet apart, while the children can move between houses whenever they want.

“I used to be so narrow-minded and farming was everything to me. I didn’t spend as much time with the kids as I do now. Amanda had to take care of them.”

They are both single and have been in relationships since their breakup, but Amanda’s relationship was the only one that received a lot of media attention.

“We were both seeing other people. I knew about Clive’s girlfriend and we teased each other,” she says.

At one point it was said that I was being ‘comforted’ by a Channel 5 cameraman, which is totally untrue. I joked with the kids about my supposed fling and asked them who it was. I just get through it with humour, even though I might be crying inside

Amanda Owen

“There were never any secrets. We were also open and honest with the children.

“At one point it was said that I was being ‘comforted’ by a Channel 5 cameraman, which is totally untrue. I joked with the kids about my supposed fling and asked them who it was. I just get through it with humour, even though I might be crying inside.”

Amanda says meeting a new man is the last thing on her mind these days.

“Now it’s just me and my horse left. I’m done, thank you,” she says.

“I need to get my faith back in humanity. I also refuse to talk about Rob because he’s a good guy and it’s not my place to speak for others or point fingers. Clive and I chose to go into this reality TV world, but others didn’t.”

They will soon return to television with a new show on More4 called Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids, in which they renovate a dilapidated farmhouse they have bought.

Divorce is not on the cards and could only happen if one of them wants to remarry, but for now they are happy with the current situation.

“For now, we’re just trying to be happy,” Amanda says. “I know where my priorities are. I love my life and what we do. We’ve never said we were perfect or set ourselves up as role models. What is that anyway?

“If we want to be a role model for the children, we want to show them that you can overcome anything that life throws at you, the ups and the downs.”