Reuben Owen’s girlfriend Jess paid tribute to her family member in a heartwarming moment during Life in the Dales.
Jess paid tribute to her grandfather (Image: Channel 5)
Reuben Owen’s girlfriend Jess has paid tribute to her grandfather after his death. The couple returned to screens in a new episode Life in the Dales tonight, following Reuben’s life and business on his family farm in Swaledale, North Yorkshire.
The farmer gained his own TV series after finding fame on Our Yorkshire Farm, with his parents Clive and Amanda Owen, and now stars alongside Jess, friends Sonny and Capper, and brothers Sid and Miles. In the episode airing Tuesday, June 2, Reuben and the team are clearing up trees that have fallen on a church graveyard, when Jess visits her grandfather’s site to pay respects.
“I like doing these sorts of jobs, doing good for the community,” Reuben begins. He tells Jess: “Especially as it’s the local church, your farm is just up there, so quite a few of your family that you were very close are here, aren’t they?”
Reuben admitted he was sad to not have met Jess’ grandfather (Image: ITV)
“Yeah, grandad’s up there,” Jess replies, to which Reuben says: “Sadly, I never met him.” Jess adds: “No, he was a character.”
Later in the episode, Jess and her grandmother pay tribute to her grandfather in a sweet moment. Jess explains: “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. Jess continues: “Nana misses him to bits but as a family we all keep together and keep close and look after Nana.”
The Channel 5 narrator goes on to reveal 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 tells her Nana: “I think he’d be happy to see where it’s at now, things have carried on.”
Life in the Dales has returned for a new series (Image: Channel 5)
“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 replies. Jess goes on: “But he taught us and always involved us, and was happy to take me with him and learnt me everything.”
Her grandmother replies: “You’ve been steeped in it from birth really, there isn’t anything that you weren’t involved in.” Jess adds: “When he did something, he always encouraged you, and he was always really proud when he did something.”
She goes on to say how happy he would have been with what’s going on, before her Nana reveals that George would’ve been “thrilled to bits” with Reuben and his work ethic. “I think I’ve got the right one there, haven’t I?” Jess laughs, as she recalls a family saying about bringing boys home who can chop logs.
The couple have been together for over a year (Image: Instagram)
Reuben and Jessica, who is also a farmer and works on her parents’ Brough Castle farm, got together in October 2024, and have since shared some loved-up posts on social media. They met at a young farmers’ convention, with Jessica later sharing on the show: “Ever since we first met, we just clicked. I think it’s because I’m from a farming background, so’s Reuben.” She added: “I just love him to bits. Love his family, get on great with them.”
Reuben meanwhile told OK magazine: “It took me a while to ask her out, I wasn’t that brave but I just asked her one night, we went out for some tea one night and I’d lost my wallet and she had to pay for my dinner!”
In a previous interview with The Mirror, Reuben shared how his family reacted to Jessica, saying: “Mum and Jess get on well, they talk about sheep together, they all approve and they all get along really well.”
The couple are also planning on moving in together soon, as he added: “We’re just waiting for something to come up. I’ve got to try and get a nice place, get a bit of a farm somewhere one day. It would be ideal to have a farm where I can park my diggers and she can have her sheep and cows.”
Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales airs Tuesdays at 8pm on 5.
