Countryfile star makes future clear after ‘joy’ at retirement home

The 60-year-old has been starring on the popular BBC programme for 25 years, having initially made his debut back in 2001.

He has now offered an update on his long-term plans for his Cotswold Farm Park, after previously suggesting that leaving the attraction would mark the “end of an era”.

Mr Henson took on the farm from his father Joe, who started running it in 1971 and helped to establish it as a much-loved visitor destination.

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In a recent interview with Cotswold Life, he confirmed he still has at least 10 years left on his farm tenancy, signalling he has no intention of walking away in the near future.

He told the magazine: “We’re still a family-run rural business and a large local employer, with 180 people on the books, all of whom are central to the success of the business.

“My mantra has always been to surround myself with people who can do the job better than I can.”

Looking ahead, Mr Henson said he remains enthusiastic about his broadcasting work and the variety it brings alongside his farming responsibilities.

Regarding his future, he added: “I still enjoy being part of Countryfile, doing the farming slot most weeks.

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“I go all over the country behind the scenes on some fascinating farms and talk to really interesting people, picking up ideas I can bring back and share – and I still work as a farmer, which means I can speak to other farmers in a knowledgeable way.

“We don’t want a heatwave like last year nor a wet year like 2024. We need enough rain to make the grass grow, but plenty of sunshine for our visitors.”

This comes after Mr Henson took a trip to Burford in the west of the county earlier this month to give a talk at Cotswold Gate Care Home on Forest Grove.

It was here that Adam spoke with the Oxford Mail about a variety of subjects, starting with the retirement home itself.

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After having earlier remarked how he loved the place and joked to the audience that he needed to put his deposit down to join, he added: “It’s an absolute joy.

“I’ve driven up to the one in Derbyshire in the past as well as the one in Cheltenham, and then this is my second visit here.

“This one is just 20 minutes from home, and coming through Burford is gorgeous.

“The home is beautifully capped and decorated, and I was sitting in this room that has amazing wallpaper, thinking ‘I’d quite like this in my house’.

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“The interior design of these places is so lovely, and I’m getting to an age when I’m starting to think about my end-of-life, and where I’ll go and what I’ll do and what it’s going to be like.

“I’m hoping my children will be rich enough to pay for me to go into a very nice home like this!

“It’s a gorgeous place, and to be welcomed at the door was lovely, and everybody’s been so helpful, getting me cups of tea and all the tech work [with the talk’s presentation].

“So, you know I’m not just saying it, but it’s pretty faultless really.”