The Life in the Dales stars opened up about inheriting their love for farming from late family members.22:00, 30 Jun 2026Two stars from Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales opened up about a heartbreaking family death.The beloved Channel 5 series has come to an end with its third season, with Reuben leaving fans “gutted” with the update.The final episode focused on his girlfriend Jess and her family farm, as the lambing season was underway and she saved several newborns in emotional moments.She also opened up about the love she has for her profession, which she’s inherited from her dad Dave.At one point, Jess shared: “It’s hard work, this time of year, lambing. A lot of hours, but when you have something like that, it puts a smile on your face, and the sun is shining, it’s wonderful. There’s not another place where I’d want to be.”Dave recalled how Jess would look after lambs when she was little, as she called them “the best days”.He replied: “I’m very similar to you, when I was little, I was just like you, wanting to be on the farm. When I was at school, my dad was ill, so I missed a lot of school, that’s just how it was.”Dave was just 14 years old when his dad Thomas was diagnosed with leukaemia. With his family’s dairy farm running, Dave had to step up at a young age to help out.Jess said: “I never got to meet him, sadly.” Dave shared: “I was only 16 when he died.”“It must have been hard, doing a hard job and that happening at the same time,” Jess said.Dave went on: “You just have to keep going. Even if my dad hadn’t been ill, I would have still taken up farming, I loved it. I loved cows, just like you do.”In a previous episode of Life in the Dales, Jess visited her grandfather’s grave to pay her respects, as Reuben said to her: “Sadly, I never met him.”Jess then met her grandmother, saying: “Ever since I was small, we’ve always done jobs as a family really, Nana has always been there helping out. I miss grandad, I really do miss grandad. It’s not the same anymore since he died.”Jess’ grandfather George died in 2018 at the age of 70. She continued: “Nana misses him to bits but as a family we all keep together and keep close and look after Nana.”The Channel 5 narrator revealed how Jess’ grandfather inherited their family farm, Brough Castle Farm, when he was just 18 years old, and dedicated his life to its running and improving it for his family’s future.Taking a moment to reflect on his legacy, Jess told her Nana: “I think he’d be happy to see where it’s at now, things have carried on.”“You’ve taken over, it’s like passing on the baton, and he would have been thrilled to bits to see what you have done since he died, and hopefully the next generation will pick up that baton and run with it like you have,” she replied.Jess continued: “But he taught us and always involved us, and was happy to take me with him and learnt me everything.”Jess has previously spoken about her love for her family farm and growing up in that environment. In a 2023 article for Farmers Guardian, the then-18-year-old said: “Farming is in my blood: I grew up on Brough Castle Farm and remember helping my mum and dad in the fields from a young age. Since then, it is all I have ever wanted to do.“I am now working full-time alongside my dad and taking on more responsibilities for different parts of the farm, which is really exciting. I have always loved working with animals too, particularly cows and sheep; they have their own personalities and I feel like I know them all. Because I have grown up with them since I was very little, I see all the animals as part of our family.”Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales is available to watch on Channel 5.