ESCAPE to the Country presenter Jules Hudson has opened up about why he is taking a three-month hiatus from hosting the beloved BBC show.
The 54-year-old has been a familiar face to viewers at home since joining the show in 2007.
In a recent interview, the Escape to the Country star revealed that he would be taking a short break away from the programme after getting “quite burnt out” towards the end of 2023.
During a sit-down with Lyme Regis and Bridport News, Jules explained that he’d signed up for a 12-week course in furniture-making in Lyme Regis.
The TV personality explained: “Late last year, I realised I was quite burnt out and needed a creative and emotional reset.
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“My wife said, ‘Why don’t you take some time out and go to the Boat Building Academy?’.”
His wife's advice prompted him to get enrolled on a course at the Boat Building Academy.
According to The Mirror, the place has a special place in his heart after it caught his attention while filming Escape to the Country in 2012.
He continued: “I always wanted to return. But when you have a family and are working, life just moves on, and you go with it.”
The BBC star also confirmed that, although he is taking a break from the show, he won't be leaving for good.
Away from the spotlight, Jules lives with his wife, Tania, their son Jack and two Labradors, Teddy and Lolo.
The father of one usually keeps his family affairs out of the public eye, though he has previously disclosed that he found city living tough, so he decided to move to the countryside.
Speaking to The Times in 2020, he voiced: “I found London very claustrophobic. There's an energy about it that I absolutely love, but I need green fields and space.”
In a separate interview with the Daily Express in 2023, the On The Farm host spoke about his time on the BBC show and revealed his desire to continue it.
Jules said: “I hope to do Escape to the Country for as long as I'm able and for as long as the show will have me.
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“For me, country life is absolutely who I am, and it's who I was before I came to present Escape to the Country.
“It's a massive step for lots of people, so having the chance to share that, that experience, those tips and tricks, it's very much a way of life for me. I absolutely love it, it's a show I'm incredibly fond of.
"It's very dear to me.”
