Former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher and his wife Liz have signed a bumper new ITV deal, we can reveal. The pair are the “stars in the crown” of Sunday daytime – after their show Fletchers’ Family Farm saw the channel record their biggest ratings in a decade in the 11.30am slot.
ITV has commissioned two further series following its standout success, which has seen 6.3 million streams on ITVX so far this year. The show – which also airs on Monday evening – has been steadily growing in viewers over the course of four series. Some episodes acheive up to 2million viewers. The series, which first aired in 2023, is set in the Fletcher’s 120-acre Peak District farm and sees them navigate the highs and lows of life as a family. Kelvin, 42, who won Strictly Come Dancing with Oti Mabuse in 2019, married fellow actor Liz in 2015, and they have four children. Despite playing farmer Andy Sugden in Emmerdale from 1996 until 2016, Kelvin has previously confessed that neither him nor his wife had any real-life farming experience
View 2 ImagesHit: Fletchers’ Family Farm(Image: Steve Morgan)
Kelvin said: “I was playing a farmer for 20 years, but as you’ll know, with soaps, we did very little farming. It was more, I think, shooting people with shotguns, going to prison, getting married three or four times. That I was more accustomed to, but when you think of it like that, it sounds crazy, but kind of life has imitated art.”
Leanne Clarke, Assistant Commissioner, ITV Entertainment & Daytime said: ”The response to this show has been incredible, so we’re thrilled to return to the farm for two more series. The show continues to capture family life in all its chaos and charm and there’s plenty more laughter, hard work and unforgettable moments still to come.”
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Kelvin and Liz Fletcher said: “We’re delighted to be returning for series five and six, what started as a simple desire to share our family’s journey has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined. “
Fletchers’ Family Farm is currently available to watch on ITVX and STV Player.