HEARTBREAKING: Cannon Hall Farm star’s emotional tribute as he returns to work following his wife’s d3ath.
The Yorkshire Vet star Chris Jeffery has opened up about the deeply personal reason he decided to return to farming after the loss of his beloved wife, Kate.
Chris appeared on Thursday’s episode of the Channel 5 programme, where he spoke candidly about how his life changed after Kate died from breast cancer two-and-a-half years ago.
The 67-year-old farmer, who is a close friend of vet Julian Norton, had spent years enjoying life on the North York Moors alongside his wife, surrounded by their cattle, sheep and pigs.
But after Kate’s death, Chris found continuing the life they had built together simply too painful.
He eventually decided to sell the farm, part with all of his animals and move away.
“Two and a half years ago, I lost my dear wife, Kate, to breast cancer,” Chris explained.
“We were having just the most lovely life with our cattle, sheep and pigs.”
Chris Felt Unable to Farm Without Kate
Chris admitted that farming no longer felt the same after losing his wife.
“I decided that I couldn’t and didn’t want to do it on my own,” he said.
“So I decided to sell the farm and sell the animals and move away.”
It marked a huge change for someone who had spent so much of his life surrounded by livestock and working the land.
However, after stepping away from farming, Chris soon discovered that abandoning it altogether had left another enormous gap in his life.
He candidly admitted: “But now I’m bored. I’m 67 going on 48 and I want to do so much more in my life.”
That feeling eventually convinced him that it was time to begin again.
‘I Can’t Have Kate Back But I Can Have the Farm Back’
Chris decided to return to farming — this time with his son Rob alongside him.
The decision was about far more than simply keeping busy.
For Chris, returning to something he and Kate had loved together became a way of moving forward while still carrying her memory with him.
“So, I’m going to start farming again,” he announced.
“I can’t have Kate back but I know I can have the farm back.”
Chris also said he believes Kate would support his decision.
“I know she’s there, looking down on me, thinking, ‘That’s a great thing to do,’ and I know she’d be supporting me.”
Father and Son Begin New Chapter Together
Chris and Rob have now established a new farm together, giving Chris the opportunity to reconnect with the way of life that had meant so much to him.
They named their new venture Oakwood, after a place with special family significance — Rob’s dad’s former farm.
The pair have also started building up their livestock again.
Their new flock includes sheep transported to Yorkshire from Wales, marking another major step in Chris’s return to farming.
For him, however, rebuilding the farm is about much more than animals or land.
It represents a fresh chapter with his family after a devastating period of loss.
Farming Helps Keep Kate’s Memory Close
Although Chris knows returning to farming cannot replace Kate, the move allows him to reconnect with the life they once shared.
The farm holds memories of happier years together, while working alongside Rob gives Chris something new to build for the future.
As the sheep arrived at Oakwood, Chris reflected on how meaningful it felt to be involved in farming again.
“It’s nice to be doing it again especially with family,” he said.
His return marks an emotional turning point after two-and-a-half years of grief and enormous personal change.
Having initially felt unable to continue without Kate, Chris has now found a way to return to what he loves without forgetting the person who shared that life with him.
And in starting again alongside his son, The Yorkshire Vet star is creating something new while keeping an important connection to Kate firmly at the heart of it.
