Pick of the day

THE FAMILY FARM

BBC2, 8pm EVER wondered what life is like working as a farmer? No? Us neither. But apparently some have, as hundreds of families applied to take part in this show.

Only three were successful and have volunteered to spend a few weeks working on a north Wales hill farm in Snowdonia.

Moving into a yurt village, they will learn what it takes to look after thousands of sheep and hundreds of cattle, as well as their own small-holding containing 18 chickens, four goats and six pedigree pigs.

Their mentors are the farm’s owner Gareth Wyn Jones and presenter Kate Humble (who also has her own Welsh farm), both on hand to help with everything from gathering sheep, to training sheepdogs and selling ewes at a livestock market.

“It’s going to be a real treat,” says Kate, playing it fast and loose with the definition of “treat”. Will the urbanite families be able to milk a cow? Shear a sheep? Get up at the crack of dawn?

“It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be dirty, there’s going to be tears,” warns Gareth.

The families are Simon and Sam Morgan and their three kids, partners Lucy McNulty and Dominique Wishart and Dom’s two daughters, and Sarah and Mark Burton and their three children. All are fed up with life in the rat race.

“I think we’re going to sell up and move here permanently,” says Mark on seeing his spectacular office view. “No thanks,” says his 11-year-old son Roman.

Something tells me this is going to be emotional.