Amanda and Clive have decided to end their marriage

Who will run the farm?

Gosh yes!! i remember The Family too!!

I think she's outgrown him. He is a lot older and seems to be set in his ways, happy just to run the farm and love his family. She seems to be the one who's the money and fame person. I think its been on the cards for a while, but then again no one knows what goes on behind closed doors. Good luck to them both. I hope they find what they are looking for.

BlueBelle" I remember the very first reality show which was watching family life I can’t remember the families name but it was a ‘fly in the wall’ first and I think the family broke up after or during or something I ll have to look it up"

I loved that programme too. It was called The Family. Wilkins. It was in black and white as I remember and I can picture them in my mind now. I watched it every week.
He was a bus conductor I think and I think they had a son, and his wife and baby live with them.
I'll have to look it up too. I'd love to know what they're doing now. That's if Mr and Mrs Wilkins are still alive.

These programmes are manipulated to make you believe anything they want you to and I bet all you loving the
programme wouldn’t dream of watching ‘big brother’ which is exactly the same permitted manipulation for a good story
The cameras know exactly what bits to film to make it seem one way or the other and people are taken in No one has any idea how good or bad these folk and their children are

This thread made me read up on the family in the first ‘fly on the wall’ series The mother said that a lot was not true and she quoted a part in the filming where their 7 year old son was crying profusely because he had just been told the man he knew as dad was not his real father. the mother said he had known that for years and the part where he cried was about something totally different
The cameras can deceive and the family and the makers grow fat on weaving these stories for viewers who love a good story
We re all curious creatures

Whoever they are it's a matter for them - they are adults.

Farming's a tough job - will Clive carry on with it? He is 67, Amanda is still in her mid-forties.

Amanda's a millionaire with her books, tv appearances, talks etc. I've always preferred Clive.

Until Amanda came on the scene this was a 'farm' She certainly put it on the map Now a farm plus.+++++++.sadly what appears at the break up of her and Clive's marriage.

Well, I take your point to some extent, Bluebelle, as the programme did focus on their life on the farm, but I meant, as I’m sure you know ?, that once on their own, away from any cameras, no-one but themselves can know what happens behind closed doors. All these fly on the wall type documentaries only show certain aspects of peoples lives.

Kate1949

How sad. Who knows why. Maybe a case of 'How you gonna keep em down on the farm after they've seen Paree'. Maybe not. Shouldn't speculate.

???????

Misogyny is alive and well in this thread! Then I shouldn't be surprised after the events of the past few months. Always seems to be the women's fault...

Absolutely agree with You Mapleleaf..he may have been a miserable bugger to live with ...It is sad for the 9 (?)children ...
There are 2 sides to every story

That’s terrible. So sad.

I enjoyed the first couple of series but then I began to question what was being shown and how staged everything was. Family meals for example where she stood watching and didn't seem to sit down.
I do wonder though who gets the farm?
I have an awful feeling she will live in a town with the eldest daughter and do a programme about their nights out!!!

I liked all of them, admired Amanda for coping with all those children apparently with no effort. I liked the idea of the older husband, still a good looking fit man. An unusual life style.

what a shame I quite liked watching the programs and like both of them which is obviously unusual on Gransnet.

It was Ade Edmonson’s programme about the Yorkshire Dales that first featured the Owen family because they live on the coast to coast walking route.

I think they had five children then.

There’s a Facebook page where fans go to Ravenseat just to have a cream tea and take selfies with the kids. That must be more intrusive than the cameras.

It's always sad when a marriage breaks down, especially when children are involved. Their children are a delight but I could never warm to Amanda.

Sad to hear this news but seemed to be on the cards for a while lets hope they are left to deal with their problems privately I feel sorry for the little ones.

But I’m a bit interested in Clive’s hip replacement (whoever he is)

I agree with you BluBelle

And I’ve always found it a bit annoying as the very best Shepherdess is the wonderful Katy Cropper.
The first woman to win One Man and his Dog.

I can’t think of anything worse that having a film crew in my home. Liked watching it though, but when the babies stopped coming, the make up got heavier, the skirts shorter, in that weather too, Clive’s hip replacement, could see the signs. She left her kids very much to it and must say they are a lovely hard working bunch, very self reliant and lovely to be around, she did a better job hands off than I did hands on.
Wish them both the best but think it will hit Clive hard.

oldandproud I don’t think it’s on to use your family and ups and downs of life for millions to watch and judge especially if some are underage children who have no choice whether their problem moments are paraded to the world in the name of entertainment
You re right maybe I shouldn’t judge because I haven’t watched it but I think all of these birds eye view of family life is dreadfully exploitive

Do you remember the ‘Nanny’ and the naughty step programmes how on earth did those kids feel when they were in their teens and beyond to be reminded of their screaming temper tantrums for all to see
I remember the very first reality show which was watching family life I can’t remember the families name but it was a ‘fly in the wall’ first and I think the family broke up after or during or something I ll have to look it up
Just my opinion but hey ho they must have made a big potful of money so that’s ok then

BlueBelle

That made me laugh Mapleleaf ?
None of us knows what goes on behind closed doors it sounds as if that’s exactly what the whole programme is about

" ...it sounds as if that’s exactly what the whole programme is about "

Not really, Bluebell, though I can see how it might sound like it if you've never seen the programmes.
They are such a unique, hardworking family, whose life on the farm was wonderful to watch.

It would be easy to say that they only got on TV in the first place because of the size of the family, but I honestly feel the programmes would have been just as watchable if they only had, say, three or four children - though would probably not have run to as many series!

Actually, thinking about it, was it a visit by Ben Fogle, for New Lives in the Wild, that first brought them into the spotlight? I don't think I'd heard of them before that.