COUNTRYFILE star Adam Henson was left very emotional during Sunday’s episode of the BBC show as he visited young shepherdess Katy at her farm in Cumbria, only to discover she’d experienced a very sad loss at her farm.
In last night’s (September 29), Adam, 58, journeyed up north to Cumbria to help farmer Katy Laidlow round up her flock of sheep, but upon his arrival she revealed one key member of her team had sadly passed away.
Countryfile star Adam Henson was left heartbroken during an emotional segment on last night’s instalment of the BBC show[/caption]
Adam journeyed up north to Cumbria where he met farmer Katy[/caption]
Sadly Katy was reeling from the loss of you beloved sheepdog Jem[/caption]
Introducing Katy’s segment on the show, Adam said: “Over the last few years, we’ve been following the highs and the lows of young farmer Katie Laidlow.”
But this was his first time meeting Katy, and he was quickly struck with emotion as he learned that the Laidlow’s cherished family sheepdog Jem has recently passed away.
He went on to say: “Now I’m meeting her for the first time at an important point in the farming calendar.
“Shepherding on the uplands in the UK is an age-old practice, and at this time of year, farmers are gathering their flocks off the Fells and bringing them down into the valleys to wean the lambs, and Katie’s going to show me how it’s done.”
However, the task of herding the sheep was set to be a different experience for Katy and her family, as they had to do it without Jem.
Adam explained: “It’s a two-and-a-half mile journey from fell to farm, and we’re heading up with Katie’s mum and dad, Kirsten and Andy.
“Sadly, one key member of the team, Jem, the family Border Collie passed away earlier this year, and this is the first time they’re bringing down the sheep without a dog.”
As they rounded up the flock, Adam asked Katy: “Are you missing the dog?”
“I am actually. It is very strange as normally she would just be there at your heel, making sure everything is going well.”
Katy, who moved with her family to the Cumbria farm at the age of four, has been a recurring face on Countryfile.
Footage from a past episode was displayed in the episode, showing Katy in conversation with Anita Rani about the loss of one of their lambs while Adam narrated the segment.
Alongside her flock, Katy cares for a variety of animals at the farm, including cows, goats and donkeys.
Elsewhere in the episode, Countryfile presenter Charlotte Smith joined Scottish farmer Anne Mair-Chapman as she prepared her prized animals for The Kelso Ram Sale in the Scottish Borders.
The event is one of the largest and oldest ram sales in Europe, with more than 3,500 rams expected to be sold on the day.
Countryfile presenting team
Agricultural programme Countryfile launched on the BBC in 1988. In its long history, the show’s seen several presenters come and go. Let’s take a look at the current line-up.
- John Craven: The longest-serving presenter, having debuted in 1989, John is also known for his work on Newsround from 1972–1989.
- Adam Henson: Adam, who comes from a farming family, joined the presenting team in 2001. His other media work includes BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today and BBC Two’s Lambing Live.
- Matt Baker: Having joined the line-up in 2009, Matt also presented The One Show alongside Alex Jones from 2011 to 2020. Before that, he hosted Blue Peter from 1999 to 2006.
- Tom Heap: Tom joined Countryfile in 2009 and in April 2012, he took over the investigative reporter role from John Craven. He has also presented The Climate Show on Sky News.
- Helen Skelton: Another former Blue Peter presenter, she hosted the beloved children’s programme from 2008 to 2013. Helen joined the Countryfile team in 2014 and has competed in Strictly Come Dancing.
- Anita Rani: Anita was added to Countryfile in 2015 and has presented other programmes for the Beeb including The Refugee Camp: Our Desert Home, among others.
- Sean Fletcher: Newsreader and presenter Sean joined Countryfile in 2015. He is also known for Good Morning Britain, Songs of Praise and BBC Breakfast.
Charlotte also went behind-the scenes to see how this massive market is organised, including moving thousands of sheep around the sale in their very own taxis.
Away from Kelso, Charlotte goes to find out about the official vets who keep key parts of our food supply chain running.
