Farming and fame don't usually go hand in hand. Yet a surprising number of familiar faces now spend their time swapping studios, stages, and red carpets for early starts, muddy fields, and unpredictable livestock. Some found their way into farming after becoming famous, while others grew up on farms long before television came calling.
From Jeremy Clarkson's much-discussed Cotswold farm to JB Gill's move from boyband star to turkey farmer, meet ten famous faces helping to put British farming in the spotlight.
10 Celebrity Farmers in the UK
1. Jeremy Clarkson - Diddly Squat Farm, Oxfordshire
These days, Jeremy Clarkson is almost as well known for farming as he is for fast cars and outspoken opinions. When the farmer who had been managing his Cotswold land retired in 2019, Clarkson decided to take on the job himself.
The popular TV series Clarkson's Farm has followed the successes, mistakes, and frequent frustrations that came next. Between growing crops, keeping livestock, battling difficult weather, and navigating agricultural rules, the programme has shown millions of viewers just how uncertain and demanding British farming can be.
2. Kelvin Fletcher - Peak District
Kelvin Fletcher spent years playing farmer Andy Sugden in Emmerdale, but the role offered little preparation for the real thing. The actor later bought a farm on the edge of the Peak District with his wife, Liz, despite having very little practical experience.
Their steep learning curve has featured in Kelvin's Big Farming Adventure and Fletchers' Family Farm on TV. They started with sheep before adding pigs, alpacas, and other animals, learning about lambing, animal care, and the year-round demands of farm life as they went.
3. JB Gill - Kent
Pop stardom and poultry farming are not an obvious combination, but JB Gill has made a success of both. Away from performing with JLS, he established a working farm in Kent, beginning with pigs before adding chickens and turkeys. The farm became particularly well known for its seasonal Christmas turkeys.
Gill also uses his public profile to help children understand where their food comes from. He co-presented the CBeebies series Down on the Farm, welcomed school groups, and supported organisations that connect young people with agriculture.
4. Alex James - Oxfordshire
Alex James found fame as the bassist in Blur, but his life changed direction when he moved from London to an Oxfordshire farm with his family. Music remains a major part of his world, although farming and food now sit comfortably alongside it.
James went on to build a second career as a cheesemaker, producing several varieties and learning more about British dairy and food production along the way. The farm has also been home to sheep, pigs, poultry, and other livestock over the years.
Many people now know the farm as the home of The Big Feastival, an annual celebration of live music, food, and British produce.
5. Martin Clunes - Dorset
For Martin Clunes, rural life has involved more than retreating to a peaceful country property. The Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly actor lives on a working farm in Dorset, which was once home to sizable herds of cattle and sheep. He later reduced the numbers after acknowledging how difficult it was to make the enterprise pay.
Clunes has continued to keep cattle, hens, and his much-loved horses. His experience is a useful reminder that celebrity does not remove the long hours, practical pressures, or financial challenges involved in running a farm.
6. Kate Humble - Monmouthshire
Kate Humble has spent much of her television career exploring wildlife and the countryside, but she’s experienced rural life from the other side of the camera, too. She and her husband established a working farm in Monmouthshire, Wales, centred on livestock, food, rural skills, and education.
Humble has raised livestock and documented both the rewards and the difficulties of running a small farm. Her programmes and books frequently explore the connection between the land, the food we eat, and the people who produce it.
Rather than presenting farm life as an idyllic escape, she’s spoken openly about its costs, responsibilities, and constant workload.
7. Matt Baker - County Durham
For Matt Baker, farming came before television. The former Blue Peter, The One Show, and Countryfile presenter grew up on his family's sheep farm in the Durham Dales and has remained closely involved with it throughout his broadcasting career.
Viewers saw more of the farm in Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales, which followed the family as they adapted the business after his mother suffered an accident. The series showed the physical demands of hill farming, alongside the importance of family, succession, and adapting a farm for the future.
8. Adam Henson - Gloucestershire
Unlike several names on this list, Adam Henson was a farmer before he became a television personality. Long before joining Countryfile, he was working at Bemborough Farm in Gloucestershire, a large mixed farm producing crops and raising livestock.
He is also closely involved with Cotswold Farm Park, founded by his father, Joe Henson, to help protect rare breeds of British farm animals. His work brings commercial farming, conservation, and public education together, giving viewers a practical look at how modern farms operate.
9. Jimmy Doherty - Suffolk
Before becoming a familiar face on television, Jimmy Doherty trained as a zoologist and set out to build his own farm. The series Jimmy's Farm documented his early attempts to establish a rare-breed pig farm in Suffolk, including the setbacks and financial risks involved.
The site later grew into Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park, but farming and animal care have remained central to his work. Doherty has kept rare-breed pigs, sheep, and other livestock, while also becoming a familiar television presenter.
His journey also shows why many modern farms branch into education, conservation, and tourism to create additional income alongside food production.
10. Andy Cato - Oxfordshire
Andy Cato first became famous as one half of electronic music duo Groove Armada, but farming is far more than a side project for him. After establishing an organic farm in France, he took on a National Trust farm tenancy in Oxfordshire and became an outspoken supporter of regenerative agriculture.
His work focuses on improving soil health, encouraging biodiversity, and growing crops with fewer artificial inputs. Through Wildfarmed, the food and farming business he co-founded, Cato has also worked with other growers to develop more nature-friendly approaches to producing grain.
Why Do Celebrity Farmers Matter?
Of course, no celebrity or television series can represent every British farm. Months of work are often condensed into an hour of entertainment, and the realities differ enormously between regions and types of farming. Even so, a well-known face can draw attention to an industry that many people rarely encounter first-hand.
Their programmes and public platforms can help audiences understand:
- Where food comes from and how it is produced
- How weather, disease, and changing costs affect farms
- Why farmers often need to diversify their businesses
- The importance of soil, wildlife, and responsible land management
- The skills, resilience, and long hours required to work in agriculture
The best-known celebrity farmers in the UK have helped narrow the gap between rural producers and the wider public. Their names might attract viewers initially, but the farmers, advisers, contractors, and rural communities around them often become just as important to the story.
From the Red Carpet to the Farm Track
These ten celebrity farmers arrived in agriculture by very different routes. Some grew up working with livestock, while others had to learn everything from scratch after successful careers in music or acting. Together, their stories show how demanding, unpredictable, and rewarding farm life can be.
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