Beloved actor Martin Clunes, known for Doc Martin, has spoken out about the growing number of farms owned by celebrities and what it means for traditional rural communities.
Clunes himself lives on a working farm in Dorset, where he has spent years balancing acting life with rural living.
He says that while celebrities buying up farms might seem glamorous, it can lead to misunderstandings about countryside living and mask the real struggles of small-scale farmers.
Martin Clunes points out that 200 acres of farmland may sound vast but when it's someone’s livelihood, margins are tight and profits uncertain.
He warns that celebrity ownership can blur public perception of farming making people forget how tough, unpredictable and under-appreciated real farming life is.
Martin Clunes message compels us to think beyond glamour: real farming is work, commitment and community and when outsiders buy in, we should ask what it means for those who’ve lived the countryside all their lives.