After ticking off parents last Christmas with the ‘ridiculous’ cost of visiting Santa at their Peak District farm, Kelvin Fletcher and Liz Marsland are throwing up the barn doors again

Kelvin Fletcher

Kelvin Fletcher is charging fans more than £100 to roll up their sleeves and “muck in” by helping run his family’s farm – with kids costing an eye-watering £64 each.

The Emmerdale star and wife Liz Marsland now have 100 sheep, 30 pigs, 10 horses, six chickens, a cat and Ginger the dog to take care of as well as four young children and clearly need a hand. Kelvin and his actress partner ditched showbiz four years ago to take on a 120-acre holding on the edge of the Peak District.

They need some help – and are putting on a big event to show people the ropes. It’ll set you back quite a bit, with adults shelling out £102 each after the booking fee. MirrorOnline have approach Kelvin’s reps ahead of the Farm With The Fletchers’ event, which is taking place on June 29.

Liz and Kelvin wrote on Instagram: “Come and Farm with the Fletchers! So many of you ask us if it’s ever possible to ‘be a farmer for the day’, well now you can! Spaces are limited but come and join us and muck in! You’ll be rolling your sleeves up and doing all the jobs required to run a family farm.”

Kelvin Fletcher
The soap star will be there to keep a close eye on things ( 
Image:
Instagram)

Kelvin Fletcher
He’s throwing open the doors to his farm later this month ( 
Image:
fletchersonthefarm/Instagram)

They went on to give more details, saying: “From mucking out to electric fencing, and sheep handling to tractor driving, you’ll get a unique and hands-on experience whilst discovering new skills, learning and understanding more about farming. And, of course, having lots of fun!”

The pair confirmed they will be will be the ‘instructors’ for the day and that lunch will be provided. Despite the price, it doesn’t seem to have put some fans off. One replied: “I’ve booked this and can’t wait to attend. Such a fantastic opportunity” as another added: “Sign me up!”

It’s not the first time they’ve put on high-cost events. They opened a festive Santa’s Village last Christmas, but families were unhappy with the ticket prices. The experience, which included making reindeer food and meeting Father Christmas, cost between £48 to £54 for children and £24 to £28 for adults.

Kelvin, who hails from Oldham, swapped city life for the countryside after winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 with dance partner Oti Mabuse. The couple’s 120-acre farm isn’t usually open to the public but will throw open their doors for what they hope is a fun-filled day at the end of the month.

Kelvin spent 20 years playing farmer Andy Sugden on ITV soap Emmerdale, but when it came to real farming, the couple were starting from scratch. Kelvin and Liz knew each other as children and became a couple after Liz finished university. They married in London in 2015 after Kelvin had proposed on a beach in Wales.