Fletchers’ Family Farm season 2 is here as Kelvin and Liz Fletcher and their growing brood share more ups and downs of agricultural life.
Following the success of Fletchers' Family Farm season 1, the second run of the show, airing on ITV1 and ITV Be, will see the couple and their four children Marnie, eight, Milo, five, and two-year-old twins Mateusz and Maximus – face more trials and triumphs on the farm and welcome a host of new arrivals.
Here’s everything you need to know about Fletchers’ Family Farm season 2…
Fletchers’ Family Farm season 2 release date
The 11-part season, which includes a Christmas special, airs weekly from Sunday, November 24 at 11.30am on ITV1 and at 8pm on ITVBe. It will also be available on streaming service ITVX.
Fletchers’ Family Farm season 2 – what’s coming up?
In the new run, Kelvin Fletcher – who played Andy Sugden in Emmerdale and won Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 – and his actor wife Liz welcome cameras back to their farm in the Peak District.
The pair are now into their third year as farmers and they will be seen tackling a tricky and emotional lambing season with their new flock of Lleyn sheep. Meanwhile, they face the fresh challenge of rearing their first cows and the chickens, pigs and pygmy goats on the farm also keep them on their toes.
Fletchers’ Family Farm season 2 – exclusive interview with Kelvin and Liz Fletcher
What can we expect this time?
Kelvin Fletcher: “We're expanding and it feels like we've only just begun. Like every farmer, we're learning, doing things we’ve never done before, and are in new territory. This series celebrates our journey, British farming, and nature, but doesn't shy away from the realities of how it's challenging and overwhelming for relatively inexperienced farmers. But it's an adventure!”
Liz Fletcher: “Yes, there are challenges, but when you look back at the highs and lows, you feel, ‘Wow, what a journey!’”
So, what's new on the farm?
Kelvin Fletcher: “We jump into the busiest time of the year with lambing. We've got a new native breed of sheep and that throws up a few challenges. You think on your feet and go off instinct and experience.”
Liz Fletcher: “Yes, they have brought things we weren’t expecting. That two-week lambing period is intense. One lamb was taking a long time and we thought it was suffocating and we didn't want the sheep to be in pain. But you've got to keep calm and think, ‘What can we do to make the situation better?’ That's when Kelvin comes into his own. You realise the responsibility on your shoulders and you’re focused on making sure the animals are OK.”
We hear you’ve also got your first cows too...
Kelvin Fletcher: “We’re now the really proud parents of cows! We've chosen a native breed, a Lincoln Red, which was a 'dual purpose' cow when it was first reared, as it would have been for beef and for milk. It’s amazing. I instantly bonded with the cows, that connection is unique, and different from the one we’ve had with any other livestock. It’s a real moment for us on our farming journey and overwhelming but we've embraced it.”
Liz Fletcher: “They’re beautiful, but you're dealing with a much bigger animal than sheep and pigs. I was slow to the party, because I had a streak of fear, while Kelvin was just at one with the cows! But they feel so right here now, they were the piece missing on the farm.”
Are your children getting stuck into farming even more now?
Kelvin Fletcher: “Yes, the family dynamic has evolved over the past year as the children are older and more hands on with the animals. The twins want to be everywhere around the farm now! And Marnie’s establishing her first flock of sheep. She goes to a sheep sale and says to me, ‘I need my own field!’ You see the next generation take pride in rearing animals.”
Liz Fletcher: “It’s amazing what they pick up and we give them the opportunity to be independent and do their own thing. Milo’s coming into his own and the twins are such outdoor children, it’s lovely. They’re so different though. Mateusz is a real farmer and has no fear and there are no questions asked, but Max weighs things up, checks it’s safe, and then gets involved!”
And what reaction have you had to the first series last year?
Kelvin Fletcher: “It’s been so good, people are on this journey with us. When I was in Emmerdale, guys wouldn’t admit to watching it! But with this, the amount of men who have said, ‘I love your show’, is amazing.”
Liz Fletcher: “It’s unbelievable and it reaches everyone – children, parents, grandparents. And we get farmers saying, ‘We love what you're doing.’ To have people with experience say they’ve been inspired by us or can relate to us is the biggest honour. It’s like we’re all in it together. The other day everything was going wrong and animals were escaping. But we spoke to another farmer, and she said, ‘That's just farming. It doesn't matter how long you've been doing it, you'll have days like that, and the next day will be different, and you'll love it again!’”
