Meet The Owens lands on Prime Video as Michael Owen opens the doors on racing, family life and chaos

Former England football star Michael Owen is swapping the pitch for family life, racehorses and plenty of chaos in a new six-part docuseries available to stream from today.

All six episodes of Meet The Owens have landed exclusively on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland, giving viewers access to a year behind the scenes with the former Ballon d’Or winner, his wife Louise and their four children Gemma, James, Emily and Jessica.

Far removed from a conventional football documentary, the series follows a family reaching a crossroads — with Michael trying to keep his ambitious horse racing operation competitive while each of his children pursues a very different future.

Life after football

Michael enjoyed one of the most celebrated football careers of his generation, representing Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City and winning the Ballon d’Or in 2001.

Since retiring from football, racing has become one of his biggest passions and business interests.

Meet The Owens takes viewers inside Manor House Stables as Michael attempts to compete at some of racing’s biggest meetings while confronting the financial and sporting pressures of running a major operation.

The opening episode sees him meet former Liverpool teammate Jamie Carragher as he looks for investment in the stables ahead of a crucial meeting at Chester.

Later, Michael heads to the horse sales and takes a significant gamble by spending millions on new horses for the season ahead.

Gemma swaps social media for the saddle

One of the series’ biggest storylines belongs to eldest daughter Gemma.

Already well known as a presenter, equestrian and social media personality, she sets herself a new challenge: becoming a jockey and racing at Glorious Goodwood.

Her preparations bring together two very different parts of Michael’s life when she trains aboard a horse belonging to his former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The challenge becomes increasingly serious as Gemma undergoes a demanding training programme before an accident threatens to derail her plans ahead of the race.

A family facing big changes

Away from racing, Meet The Owens also captures Michael and Louise approaching another major change — the prospect of becoming empty nesters.

Their children are beginning to carve out lives of their own, with each facing a different ambition or challenge.

James, 20, wants to become more involved in the family racing business. His storyline follows Michael beginning to teach his son the ropes, including taking him to Bahrain to meet and entertain racehorse owners.

James has a degenerative eye condition, something the programme explores as he considers what role he could build for himself within the business.

Emily, 18, meanwhile, is attempting to become the first member of the Owen family to go to university.

Youngest daughter Jessica has her sights set considerably higher than simply following in her father’s footsteps — she dreams of becoming an Olympic showjumper.

By the final episode, Jessica takes another significant step towards that ambition, although Prime Video promises it comes at “considerable cost” to her dad as he simultaneously tries to balance the books at Manor House Stables.

From Chester to Royal Ascot and Goodwood

Across the six episodes, the family’s story unfolds against some of British racing’s biggest occasions.

Michael attempts to recover from a disappointing result at Chester, takes his racing ambitions to Royal Ascot and watches Gemma work towards her own moment at Glorious Goodwood.

The series also shows the less glamorous side of the operation — financial pressure, difficult decisions, family disagreements and the uncertainty that comes with trying to produce winning racehorses.

At home, meanwhile, Louise faces questions about what the next chapter of her own life will look like as the children grow up and become increasingly independent.

The result is intended to be as much a family series as a sporting documentary, putting the relationships between Michael, Louise and their children alongside the pressures of the racing business.

All six episodes available now

Meet The Owens is directed by Emmy-nominated Chris Wallwork, with the production team including Chris Grubb, Drew Masters, Will Yapp, Christian Cerami, Mark Cole and Whisper co-founders Jake Humphrey and Sunil Patel.

And there is no weekly wait for viewers wanting to see how the family’s year unfolds.

All six episodes — A Stable Family, A Winter’s Tale, Taking the Reigns, New Pastures, Unbridled Confidence and Final Furlong — are available to stream from today, Friday 28 August, exclusively on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland.

Prime members can watch the series at no additional cost as part of their membership.