One thing we’ve learned about Kelvin Fletcher is that his portrayal of farmer Andy Sugden in Emmerdale isn’t too far removed from his actual life.

The 41-year-old actor swapped his two-decade-long career with ITV for a quieter life with his wife Liz and their children, four years ago.

In 2021, the couple traded their soap-star existence for a rural lifestyle, purchasing a 120-acre plot of land in the village of Wincle, near Macclesfield in Cheshire.

Despite this significant career shift, Kelvin didn’t entirely abandon television. Their farming journey was initially documented in the BBC TV series, Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure, which aired in January 2022.

More recently, their agricultural adventures have moved to ITV under a new title – Fletchers’ Family Farm, along with a festive special, Fletchers’ Family Farm at Christmas, and regular appearances on Lorraine Kelly’s eponymous show, reports Belfast Live.

With Kelvin’s soap opera past seemingly well behind him, despite rumours of a potential Emmerdale comeback and much fan speculation, we are now delving into his evolving career.

Emmerdale

Devoted fans will undoubtedly remember that Andy was a soap legend, first appearing on the show back in 1996 before leaving the village in 2016.

During his 20-year run on the soap, Andy was at the heart of numerous gripping storylines. The character grappled with plenty of drama, one notable instance being his wife Katie’s mysterious death—that saw her fall from the roof of a barn after a fiery confrontation with Andy’s on-screen brother Robert.

In the wake of all the turmoil, Kelvin Fletcher’s character Andy made the decision to make an exit from the village in 2016, using a fake passport provided by Robert—and he hasn’t been seen on the show ever since.

Race car driver

Kelvin didn’t just hang up his acting boots after leaving Emmerdale, he traded his character’s tractor for something significantly faster – a £200,000 supercar – and took a sharp turn into the world of motor racing.

He began his assault on the motorsport world, swiftly scaling the ranks in numerous amateur championships and eventually clinching several titles.

In conversation with the Express, Kelvin shared: “I’ve always been a risk taker, and I love anything with an engine. My dad was a mechanic, and I wanted to be one too.

“Even when I started acting, I still wanted to be in a garage. I was obsessed with cars.”

Corrie

Kelvin recently disclosed on a podcast about facing early challenges in his acting career, including missing out on a role on Coronation Street to Joseph Gilgun of Brassic fame.

Talking about experiencing setbacks on a competing soap, he confessed during the Off Script… Coronation Street and Emmerdale podcast he presents with his wife Liz Fletcher: “I once auditioned for Corrie.”

He revealed: “It was actually for a little boy called Jamie who Jack Duckworth took under his wing, and I was down to the last two with Joe [Joseph] Gilgun. He obviously got the role, a year later I ended up in Emmerdale and the rest is history.”

Joseph subsequently portrayed the character Jamie Armstrong from 1994 to 1997.

Despite missing out on the initial opportunity, Kelvin secured a minor role during an episode in 1996, which preceded his more distinguished tenure on Emmerdale.

Kelvin issues a serious caution about leaving soap opera

The father-of-four has openly discussed his trepidation about deciding to end his twenty-year stint in acting. It was not an easy decision for Kelvin to make, and initially, even his father was sceptical.

When disclosing his intentions to leave acting for a life of farming to his dad, Kelvin’s concerns were amplified by his father’s reluctance and suggestion that he might want to rethink what could be seen as an “foolish” move.

While speaking on the Who We Are Now podcast hosted by Richard and Izzy Hammond, he shared his thoughts: “I think for me, performing and what it represents is amazing. And I discovered that, kind of by accident, and just fell in love with it, fell in love with the idea of being someone else, improving and all that. And it was the only thing I seemed to be really quite good at.”

He further admitted to the presenters: “When I made the decision to leave Emmerdale, leave a job after 20 years, that – on paper – was such a brave, maybe foolish thing to do. My dad was like, ‘What are you doing, Kelvin?'”

Kelvin has since shown that his choice wasn’t so “foolish” after all and is now enjoying the benefits of farm life alongside his wife Liz and their four children.