Copyright mirror
A Countryfile star with cancer admitted having “suicidal thoughts” before walking off in tears. BBC presenter Sean Fletcher warned viewers of upcoming “upsetting” scenes as co-host Charlotte Smith investigated the ongoing issue of inheritance tax for farmers. In October 2024, the Government announced the “biggest inheritance tax for farmers in decades” which could be “disastrous for family farms”. Charlotte heartbreakingly said that Countryfile had been in touch with rural mental health charities which shared that two farmers had taken their own lives and “both families cited inheritance tax as a contributing factor”. Countryfile then introduced viewers to fifth-generation farmer Charles Rees who was diagnosed with cancer in February. His son Tom who runs the farm could face a potential inheritance tax bill of £1 million. Opening up to Charlotte, Charles said: “I’ve been here for 70 years, it’s everything I’ve ever done.” But the interview took an upsetting turn when she questioned what the impact of the pending tax has been on the family. He tearfully replied: “It’s been hard for me lying in the hospital bed thinking, how am I going to save my farm? And trying to have all this treatment to save my life. “And sometimes I think, what the hell are you doing it all for? Because if something don’t change by next April, I’d probably top myself.” Charlotte asks: “You’ve really thought about that? Because of the farm?”, as he confirmed: “Oh God yes.” The presenter then went on to ask how his wife Ruth was coping when Charles started blinking tears away and excused himself as he got up from the table. Ruth tries to answer Charlotte’s question but begins crying herself: “I find it very sad, when he was diagnosed, he generally said to me, one day he said, ‘To be honest with you, for the farm point of view, I’d be better off if I didn’t have the treatment.’” Thankfully, since Countryfile interviewed Charles and Ruth, he had undergone surgery and is now in recovery. Nevertheless, fans of the show couldn’t help but take to X, formerly Twitter , to express their heartbreak at the upsetting scenes. Someone posted: “Didn’t expect to have tears watching #Countryfile. My heart goes out to Charles and his family.” Another wrote: “Just watching these poor farmers, broken and in bits by the #inheritancetax just wrong!”, as a third added: “Labour hates our poor farmers who are just trying to survive.” Countryfile continues every Sunday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
