Kelvin Fletcher and his wife Liz Marsland have been married for 14 years and have four children together – but their relationship has been far from plain sailing.
Kelvin Fletcher, famed for his role as Andy Sugden in ITV’s Emmerdale, bid farewell to the Dales two years ago and has since embraced a new life as a sheep farmer on a 120-acre plot on the fringes of the Peak District.
The 39 year old actor now leads a drastically different lifestyle with his wife Liz Marsland, as fans are set to gain an intimate glimpse into their lives with their 100 sheep, 30 pigs, 10 horses, six chickens, a cat and Ginger the dog – not to mention their four children who are all under seven.
Their rural adventure will be chronicled in their upcoming series, Fletcher’s Family Farm. The couple described the dramatic shift in their surroundings as a ‘rollercoaster ride’, according to the Mirror.
“Navigating farming life with four small kids is certainly a challenge but one full of laughter and unforgettable memories,” Kelvin and his actress wife Liz announced when their new show was first revealed in August this year.
Kelvin first encountered his wife Liz, 40, when they were merely eight years old, but they officially became a couple later in life after reuniting in 2009. They subsequently tied the knot six years later in a grand ceremony at London’s One Mayfair, reports the Daily Record.
Kelvin has swapped his acting life for the Dales (Image: PA)
“I knew I wanted to marry Liz the day I met her. Deep down I knew she was ‘the one,” Kelvin confessed to Hello! Magazine at the time.
Kelvin Fletcher and his wife have weathered the storm of a 14-year marriage, now finding solace in their rural retreat with their children and a menagerie of animals as they adapt to farm life.
Kelvin first met Liz when they were both eight years old (Image: Getty)
The Emmerdale star’s career once sparked strife between the couple due to the limelight and his on-screen romances, but their move to the countryside may be the perfect remedy for past tensions.
In a dramatic twist back in 2010, Kelvin was left single after a deluge of racy messages and images from admirers led to a split from his partner.
A friend disclosed to The Sun at the time: “Liz has always been jealous of the attention Kelvin receives. He is always getting stopped by girls wanting his autograph when he’s on nights out. Kelvin assures her nothing goes on but over the years it has worn her down and she decided that she just couldn’t continue seeing him.”
Despite their rocky history, the couple reunited, although Kelvin confessed his on-screen kisses in Emmerdale were a source of discomfort for her. “I do ring her up and say, ‘I’m kissing so-and-so today’ and make a joke about it,” he shared with the outlet.
He said: “That’s how we deal with it. But Liz won’t watch the show because she gets too jealous. To me, though, it’s just work.”
The bookkeeper explained that he could see why his girlfriend might feel uneasy about his encounters with adoring fans, but Liz had learned to accept it and it no longer caused any issues in their relationship.
