Amanda Owen has become quite a household favourite in her own right.
The mum-of-nine, 46, who shot to fame on the Channel 5 favourite Our Yorkshire Farm, loves nothing more than to showcase her adorable brood and masses of animals on Instagram.
In recent times, the glamorous six foot tall TV star has managed to make farming seem incredibly sexy – much like Nigella Lawson in the kitchen and Charlie Dimmock during her days on Ground Force.
The farmer became so popular that she was even invited onto ITV’s This Morning to discuss how she stays in great shape, among other things.
The Shepherdess told Eamonn Holmes and his wife Ruth Langsford “good knickers” along with “running around” after the animals and children helped with maintaining her svelte curves.
But what is life really like for the busy mum? The Daily Star explores life away from the cameras and before fame.
(Image: Channel 5)
Amanda hadn’t originally aspired to a life wading through mud and shovelling hay, instead, she had wanted to follow in the footsteps of her modelling mother.
However, after stumbling across a life-changing book in the library, her career ended up taking a very different path.
Speaking on her programme, Amanda made reference to her former catwalk days.
She said: “When you think you’re going to be a model in like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, but actually then you end up doing knitting catalogues and things like.
“It was cardigans, floral, Prince Diana 1980. No thank you.”
After stumbling across the publication that showcased picturesque scenery, stunning landscapes and cute fluffy animals, she decided to park modelling and pursue a totally different trajectory.
(Image: yorkshireshepherdess/Instagram)
Amanda previously explained: “It was the pictures, it was the landscape, it was the people — everything in that book just appealed to me.
“It wasn’t glossing over the hard side, it was very real and very gritty and atmospheric but it was just the thought of working outdoors and actually doing something, having a physical job where you were out there feeling the elements — windburn, sunburn, rained on, all the rest of it — sounded like a good idea back then.”
Soon after being lured in by the book, the starlet became a shepherdess and was introduced to her husband Clive when she was just 21.
(Image: yorkshireshepherdess/Instagram)
In 1995, Clive, who is now 67, had been running his farm on his own when the stunning ex-model knocked on the door looking for work.
The pair became good friends way before their romance developed but divorcee Clive always had a soft spot for young Amanda.
He said on the show: “I do remember this six-foot-something woman knocked on the door. I was very taken with her. You couldn’t not be.”
(Image: yorkshireshepherdess/Instagram)
Their connection grew after the pair established they had very similar backgrounds with neither one of them having farming heritage prior to taking up the career.
The 21-year age gap between them did mean that their relationship had a slow start.
Amanda revealed: “It was a slow burn thing we kind of got to know each other. Made friends first then went out a little bit together.
“With us both coming from non-farming backgrounds we were kind of peas in a pod really but we didn’t know that at the time.”
The no-nonsense Northerner certainly has her work cut out for herself each day.
She looks after 1,000 sheep, 40 cows, six dogs and four ponies, but also her nine children that she shares with husband Clive too.
(Image: Renegade Pictures)
Their brood includes Annas, Violet, Edith, Raven, Clemmy, Nancy, Reuben, Miles, and Sidney, with everyone pitching in on the farm when they are able to muck in.
As the Huddlesfield lass has so many children, she has practically been breastfeeding for 15 years non-stop.
But whilst Amanda’s family life is now certainly idyllic, her own upbringing was far from it at times, as she tragically lost her dad at a young age.
Amanda opened up about her loss in a video for charity Barnado’s, saying: “My name’s Amanda Owen and my dad died when I was 17.
So, my dad was called Maurice, he was a giant of a man. He was six foot nine, he was just a real gentle giant.”
She added: “We had a great relationship, but I suppose thinking about it now, I maybe would have made more of the time that we have together if I’d known I was going to lose him at such a young age.
Our Yorkshire Farm continues on Channel 5 on Tuesday at 9pm.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
