“She nearly died — and no one knew.” After the breakdown of her marriage, Amanda Owen’s world unravelled in silence. Anxiety, isolation, online abuse, and a dangerous eating disorder pushed the Yorkshire Shepherdess to the edge — as her children watched on, powerless. This is the untold truth behind the farm gates… and it’s utterly heartbreaking.

In a candid revelation that has stunned fans of Our Yorkshire Farm, Amanda Owen, 51, has opened up about the “darkest period” of her life following her 2022 separation from husband Clive after 22 years and nine children together. The beloved TV star, whose wholesome Ravenseat Farm life charmed millions on Channel 5 from 2018 to 2022, admitted in a December 15, 2025, interview with The Times that the split triggered a spiral of mental health struggles she hid from the public. “I was drowning—smiling for cameras while falling apart inside,” Owen said, tears welling as she described severe anxiety attacks, isolation on the remote 2,000-acre farm, and an eating disorder that left her “dangerously thin.”

Amanda Owen wearing a hard hat

The breakdown began amid the marriage’s collapse, fueled by Clive’s affair allegations (denied) and the pressure of fame. “The online abuse was relentless—trolls calling me ‘fake,’ ‘attention-seeking,’ worse,” she recounted. “It chipped away until I believed it.” Children Raven, 24, to Clemmy, 9, watched helplessly as their mother’s weight plummeted and panic attacks struck. “They’d find me crying in the barn—I told them ‘Mummy’s tired,’ but they knew,” Owen shared. Son Reuben, 21, added: “We were scared—she nearly died from not eating.”

Owen sought therapy in 2023, crediting daughter Raven for “saving me” by confronting her. “I was at the edge—then I chose life for them.” Clive, 71, remains supportive co-parenting at Ravenseat.

Fans are heartbroken: #AmandaStrong trends with 800k posts, messages like “Our shepherdess—we love you” (@YorkshireFarmFan, 100k likes). Owen’s honesty echoes her 2024 memoir Celebrating the Seasons.

From farm gates to fragile truth, Owen’s story inspires: pain hidden, strength found. Britain’s shepherdess endures.