Martin Clunes reveals how daughter Emily inspired move to rural Dorset farmhouse
Martin Clunes revealed how his daughter Emily inspired him and his wife Philippa Braithwaite to embrace rural life and move into a farmhouse in Dorset.
While appearing on ITV's This Morning on Friday to promote ITV's upcoming thriller Out There, the Doc Martin star gave an update on life at his 130-acre farm in Beaminster, which he and Philippa purchased back in 2007 and now holds seven horses, a handful of cattle, five dogs, two cats, nine hens.
When quizzed about his decision to buy a farm, Martin explained that he had his daughter, who is now 25 and studying to be an equine vet, at the forefront of his mind when making the move. "We always wanted a field for a pony for our daughter Emily," said the 63-year-old. "And one never came up and suddenly, 130 acres came up which wasn't quite what we were looking for but if you don't do something you'll have a grass problem. It will all go wild so we started with loads of sheep," he explained.
Sharing an insight into farm life, Martin spoke about the frequent deaths of his sheep. "Lambs are nice, they're fun and they play," he began. "But then they grow into sheep and they're charmless. And they die for a pass time. Anything going!"
"I had a ram once who just lent up against the fence, like that and went, 'I'm going to die now,'" recalled the actor. "And that's where he was, that's where I found him. Leant up against the fence dead. Idiot!"
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Martin has been married to Philippa, a producer, since 1997.
Sharing the secret to their long-lasting marriage in an interview with Saga magazine in 2022, Martin revealed that as well as their shared sense of humour, it helps that they often work together.
"I can't totally analyse why it works, although I suppose some things are obvious; we make each other laugh, for example, and I know I have to make my wife laugh to keep her because her dad was very funny, too, and she's funny and so is our daughter, Emily," he explained.
"It helps that we've always worked together, from the very beginning when we met, and we're partners in our company, Buffalo, and yet we do totally different things. I call her 'The Boss', but, actually, it's a very equal partnership. She'll be in her office and I'll be on set or in the studio and then, at some point in the day, she'll turn up and, hand on heart, I still feel totally thrilled to see her, like it's the first time. It never stops."
Philippa has produced many of the shows that Martin has starred in, including Doc Martin, Manhunt and his upcoming show Out There, which tells of county lines drug dealing.
Martin portrays farmer Nathan Williams, who is confronted by dark forces seeping into his rural community as his 15-year-old son Jonny, played by Louis Ashbourne Serkis, is pressured into looking after a drug dealer's supply of cannabis.
Out There airs at 9pm on Sunday 19th January on ITV1 and ITVX.
