“I Didn’t Know How to Cope”: Amanda Owen Opens Up About Resetting Her Life After Fame

Amanda Owen, known to millions as the Yorkshire shepherdess who brought rural life to national television, has spoken candidly about the personal and emotional toll of life in the spotlight. During a revealing conversation on Good Housekeeping’s podcast My Life in a Biscuit Tin, the 49-year-old reality star discussed how the pressures of being a woman in the media contributed to what she describes as a much-needed “reset” in her life.

Owen first rose to prominence through the Channel 5 hit Our Yorkshire Farm, which documented the joys and challenges of raising nine children while running Ravenseat, a remote working farm in the Yorkshire Dales. The show quickly became one of the broadcaster’s most successful factual series, admired for its authenticity, breathtaking landscapes, and Owen’s straightforward, warm manner. More recently, she returned to screens in Channel 4’s Our Farm Next Door, offering a new chapter in her ongoing story of family, farming, and resilience.

Yet although viewers have long seen Owen as strong, capable, and endlessly composed, she revealed in the podcast that life behind the scenes has not always been so steady. For the first time, she spoke more openly about how the intensity of public attention — especially as a woman juggling motherhood, marriage breakdown, and professional commitments — began to chip away at her sense of control.

A Life Suddenly Under a Microscope

Reflecting on the height of her fame, Owen acknowledged that the rapid shift from shepherdess to household name brought unexpected pressures. “Everything became bigger and louder,” she said, noting that the scrutiny extended far beyond her work and into her personal life. The public’s interest was intense and sometimes unforgiving.

As her television success grew, so did the demands placed upon her. There were filming schedules, interviews, book deadlines, media commitments, and the unavoidable curiosity surrounding her family life. “It wasn’t something I expected or prepared for,” Owen explained. “You go from living this peaceful rural existence to suddenly everyone having an opinion about your life.”

The pressures intensified during periods of significant personal change. Owen admitted that navigating family challenges while under public scrutiny left her at times overwhelmed. “I didn’t know how to cope,” she said plainly — a rare admission from someone perceived as endlessly sturdy and stoic.

The Struggle of Being a Woman in the Media

In the podcast, Owen touched on the unique challenges women face when they occupy public-facing roles. She noted that expectations often differ, with female figures judged not only for their professional work but for their family roles, appearance, and emotional lives.

“Being a woman in the media brings a different kind of pressure,” she said. “You’re not just seen for what you do — you’re seen for who you are, and people think they can comment on every part of it.”

She described the experience as both empowering and intrusive, acknowledging that while television gave her the chance to share the beauty and challenges of hill farming, it also opened the door to a level of exposure she struggled to manage.

A Necessary Reset

The combination of public attention, family upheaval, and constant demands eventually led Owen to reassess her priorities. She described her decision to “reset” as a protective step — not a retreat, but a recalibration.

“It wasn’t about stepping back,” she clarified. “It was about stepping differently.”

For Owen, that reset meant focusing on what mattered most: her children, her farm, her identity beyond the cameras, and finding ways to continue sharing her story without losing herself in the process. “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” she said. “At some point, you have to stop and refill it.”

Finding Strength in Simplicity

Despite the challenges, Owen expressed gratitude for the opportunities that arose from her television career. She spoke warmly about the public support she continues to receive and emphasised that much of the attention has been heartfelt and encouraging.

Still, she credits the steady rhythms of farm life — caring for animals, walking the fells, rising early to tend the land — with helping her reclaim stability and clarity. “Farming grounds you,” she said. “Whatever’s happening outside, the work stays the same, and that’s what keeps you centred.”

A New Chapter Ahead

As she continues her work both on and off screen, Owen says she is embracing the next chapter with a renewed sense of balance. She remains deeply committed to her family and her farm, and still values sharing the rural world with audiences — but now on terms that protect her well-being.

Her message to others facing overwhelming pressure is simple: “It’s okay to reset. It’s okay to say you’re struggling. And it’s okay to start again.”

With characteristic resilience and honesty, Amanda Owen has once again shown why viewers have long connected with her — not for perfection, but for her humanity.