Our Yorkshire Farm star Reuben Owen has dismissed social media criticism following a video posted by his mother, Amanda Owen, that some viewers misinterpreted.
The 21-year-old farmer faced backlash after the clip showed him helping with lambing season at Ravenseat Farm in Swaledale, Yorkshire, leaving some to wrongly accuse Reuben of mistreating a sheep when he was assisting a struggling ewe during labour.
The video, shared on Amanda's Instagram earlier this month, sparked concerned comments from followers who didn't understand what was happening.
In the video, the Yorkshire Shepherdess can be heard saying: "Well, this is what you've been getting up to in lambing fields," while Reuben is lying across an ewe and lamb.
He then picks up the ewe by the horns as his mother comments: "You did great there! And you got the lamb at the same time," leaving her to caption the post: "Caught ewe. Reuben downs tools and springs into action. Everyone lends a hand, there is no one exempt from lambing time tasks."
The clip quickly drew criticism from some viewers as one commented on the post: "Why are you treating the ewe like that? Absolutely disgusting and I'm disappointed as I thought you were better than that."
The star was helping out with lambing season
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Another wrote: "I didn't like how you held the sheep! Absolutely disturbing! Animals are treated with respect and not like trash!"
Others defended Reuben, with one supporter writing: "Please ignore comments from any animal activist... if we all listened to them nothing would ever get done."
Despite his rising television career with appearances on Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids and his solo venture Reuben: Life in the Dales, the young farmer has made it clear he pays little attention to online criticism.
In a new interview, Reuben responded to the online furore with a straightforward eight-word statement: "I don't have the time or the inclination to scroll through social media."
The young farmer added to The Telegraph: "If you do ever see me on my phone, I'll be searching for machinery sales.
"I don't want a career on television, I want to be known as the guy who digs big holes; my current ambition is to buy a 50-ton excavator. Now that really would be the realisation of a dream," he said.
The backlash appears not to have affected Reuben's dedication to his agricultural work, with the young farmer continuing to assist on the family's Yorkshire farm.
Reuben is currently appearing in his own television show, Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales, which returned to Channel 5 last night at 8pm, with the new series introducing viewers to his girlfriend Jessica Ellwood, 21, whom he met at a Young Farmers' event.
Jessica comes from a similar farming background, growing up just eight miles from Ravenseat and working on her family's beef and dairy farm, milking 90 cows and looking after a herd of 15 Belted Galloway cows and 350 sheep.
The couple showcase their relationship during Reuben's new Channel 5 series
In a recent interview with The Mirror, Reuben spoke fondly of their shared interests: "I could work with you all day in any sort of environment. Last weekend we were felling trees."
He added with admiration: "Jess is very good on the digger. She's better at driving a digger than I am milking cows."
Jessica describes herself as a "proper homebird" and has loved animals since childhood.
