Amanda Owen and husband Clive 'had been living apart for months' before they announced the end of their 22 year marriage.
The Yorkshire Shepherdess found fame on Our Yorkshire Farm announced to fans and followers on social media they had made 'the difficult decision to separate'.
But a source close to the couple, who together have nine children, said it's been known across the remote Dale area that Amanda has been living elsewhere for months.
Rumours of the couple's relationship break down began late 2021, but had been denied despite the farming reality star being pictured without wearing her wedding ring on a night out in November the same year.
A source close to Clive and Amanda told The Mail Online said: 'It's really sad for both of them that it's come to this, especially with such a large family and some of them so young.
''It's been an open secret across the dale for a long time that they have been having problems and have been living apart."
But despite the split, their family life and running their farm at Ravenseat, will mean the split will see their lives still intertwined not least as they co-parent their brood.
According to the same source, Amanda has been living in their holiday let, a cottage just under a mile away from Ravenseat with Clive remaining at the former family home.
The source added: ''The problem they're going to have is that this won't be a divorce in the normal sense of the word where two people can go their separate ways.
''They have nine children, the youngest is only around four and five of them are under the age of 10, still at primary school."
But with having to remain so involved, fans are questioning how will they both move on with their lives with potential new partners.
News of the Owens' split came via Amanda's Instagram page in which she issued a joint statement to her page.
“Clive and I are sad to confirm that we have made the difficult decision to separate," the Yorkshire Shepherdess began.
The statement went on: “This hasn't been easy, but we both believe it's the right choice for the future of our family.
“Although we are no longer a couple, we continue to work on the farm and co-parent together with our number one priority the happiness and well-being of our children.”
News of their separation comes after Amanda and Clive enjoyed 22 years of marriage with one another.
