Kelvin Fletcher has received a big career boost – days after his young daughter started to follow in his soap footsteps.

The former Emmerdale star’s fly-on-the-wall look at his family’s life on the farm will be back for a second series and the good news doesn’t stop there. The Strictly Come Dancing winner has been left “beaming with pride” as his daughter Marnie, seven, made her acting debut and now there’s more to celebrate.

The 40-year-old, Andy Sugden on Dales for 20 years, took to Instagram on Wednesday night to share a clip of Marnie playing Lexi Roscoe in Hollyoaks. It’s non-stop great news for them all after Fletchers’ Family Farm on ITV was given the green light for another series, according to reports.

The Fletchers moved to the huge 18th-century farm with his wife Liz saying they found a need to discover their freedom following the Covid lockdowns. They let the cameras come alongside their animals and fans were left wanting more after nearly a million tuned in to see the show every week. Filming will start soon, it is claimed, with the show to air this winter.

Fletchers’ Family Farm is set to return on ITV later this year

“This will be welcome news to the substantial following the show has quickly gained,” a TV insider told The Sun. “It began with 676,000 watching, but after seven weeks the audience was nudging a million. Giving it a second series was a bit of a no-brainer for ITV. There’s something about seeing a family launch a fresh start that appeals to so many people — and there are plenty of laughs and shocking moments too.”

It’s a proud time for the clan. Posting a clip of Marnie’s scene and then a picture of his smiling daughter behind a clapperboard, he penned on Wednesday: “Marnie made her TV acting debut last week as she joined the fantastic cast of @hollyoaksofficial I was her ‘chaperone’ and I can’t begin to tell you the emotions I felt standing there watching.

“To be standing behind the camera, watching my 7-year-old daughter act for the first time in front of the camera, brought so many feelings back to when I first started acting and it felt so surreal to be there witnessing it all again but this time, as a parent. My heart was beaming with pride and it was genuinely one of the very few times I’ve felt completely fulfilled.

In a segment on Good Morning Britain before Christmas, Kelvin gave viewers an insight into farming life, introducing three adorable eight-week-old piglets. Discussing the career change, he admitted: “We didn’t plan on this, but sometimes the best things in life are those that are unplanned really.”

Co-host Ranvir Singh responded: “I know that wasn’t scripted – it sounds like you really know your stuff. People will just assume its a home from home for you, Kelvin.” Nodding, Kelvin joked: “I wish! Obviously the last two years for us as a family moving to the countryside and trying to farm – and get your head around farming – has been a whirlwind.”

He continued: “It’s been a little overwhelming at times if I’m honest, but that’s the beauty of this… adventure. It’s a new chapter for us and there’s nothing relatable or transferable from my time in Emmerdale unfortunately! I always tell myself Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

The married pair previously revealed Covid boredom played a part in their decision to buy a farm. Elizabeth said in October: “It was Kelvin’s idea. We had two children, no real responsibilities, they weren’t at school, and we had no jobs… then all visas got stopped, but we were in the mindset for change. Kelvin saw this farm on Rightmove and said, ‘Liz, what about buying this?'”