Kelvin Fletcher’s life: Split from wife, ‘jealousy’ issues and race driver past
Kelvin Fletcher is a former Emmerdale actor and Strictly Come Dancing winner, and he has been sharing his life on a new reality show with wife Liz and their four children.
Kelvin Fletcher appears to be channelling his former Emmerdale character, farmer Andy Sugden, as he transitions from soap star to livestock caretaker.
While his days on the popular ITV soap may be over, his television career is far from finished. The actor is now launching his reality show, Fletcher’s Family Farm, featuring his wife Liz and their four children.
In a recent episode, Kelvin and Liz became emotional when they entered their cattle into a prestigious competition in Cheshire, not far from their 120-acre farm in the Peak District. They won first prize and even took home the champion award, but the most touching moment came when their two eldest children, Milo and Marnie, stepped up to help lead the cows to victory.
Speaking to the camera, an emotional Kelvin shared a special moment with his daughter just before they entered the arena. She confessed to him that she was “scared.”
The former Strictly champion encouraged his daughter to go on and win but admitted off-camera that “it broke his heart,” reports Cheshire Live.
But it wasn’t just Kelvin who was moved to tears. Proud mum Liz, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t hold back her emotions and began to cry after seeing Kelvin and Marnie together at the event.
The programme has become a firm favourite among viewers, hailed as an uplifting ITV sensation. The portrayal of the farm family strikes a chord for its authenticity, even amongst those in the agricultural community.
The show doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities either, documenting the many highs and lows they encounter. Audiences have grown fond of watching the clan unite as they navigate chores like tending to livestock, mucking out, and tractor-driving.
Delving into the more personal aspects, we turn our attention to the Fletchers Family Farm star’s lives off-screen.
Emmerdale
Andy is the biological son of Billy Hopwood and Trisha Hopwood but was brought up by Jack Sugden and Sarah Sugden as their adoptive child.
Throughout his stay on the series, he was the centre of intense drama, most notably dealing with the mysterious demise of his spouse, Katie, who met her end in a barn fall sparked by Robert Sugden’s actions.
After waving goodbye to soap life, Kelvin’s storyline was left wide open. His character supposedly skipped town aided by a fake passport under the alias Brian Moore, nearly escaping with Bernice Blackstock until she had a last-minute change of heart.
Jealous wife
On a more personal note, the Emmerdale beloved shared that off-camera life hasn’t always been smooth sailing. With on-screen romantic encounters stirring real tension, his wife Liz confessed to feeling “jealous” over his scripted smooches.
Kelvin opened up to the Sun about navigating his professional commitments and personal relationships. He divulged, “I do ring her up and say, ‘I’m kissing so-and-so today’ and make a joke about it. 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.”
Brief split from Liz
Liz and Kelvin have a long history together, having been acquainted since they were just eight. Their paths crossed again in 2009, leading them to tie the knot in 2016. However, they briefly split in 2010 when Liz found messages from Kelvin’s fans unsettling.
An insider revealed to the Mirror during those turbulent times: “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 it has worn her down over the years, and she decided that she just couldn’t continue seeing him.”
Race car driver past
Before finding fame on Emmerdale, Kelvin harboured a need for speed. He might have only clocked up low speeds aboard his tractor in Emmerdale, but all that changed in 2017 when he made a sharp exit from the soap world in pursuit of racing dreams.
He waved goodbye to the show, swapping his on-screen rides for a sleek £200,000 supercar and hitting the tracks.
Kelvin wasn’t just playing around; his natural aptitude for racing saw him ascend through the amateur ranks, snagging titles along the way. Opening up about his passion for motors, he told the Express: “I’ve always been a risk taker, and I love anything with an engine. My dad was a mechanic and I wanted to be one too. Even when I started acting, I still wanted to be in a garage. I was obsessed with cars.”
