TV Watch People Exclusive
By Kathy Ehrich Dowd
06/14/2013 at 01:30 PM EDT
The new cast of TLC’s Breaking Amish: (from left) Devon, Lizzie, Iva, Betsy and Matthew
Walling McGarity/TLC
Goodbye milking cows, hello Hollywood.
Breaking Amish is back, and an all-new cast is leaving behind their old-fashioned communities to test out modern life in Los Angeles – and decide whether to remain part of the “English,” or return to their Amish and Mennonite roots.
In this exclusive first look at the new season of the hit TLC show (below), the new cast members are still at home but explain to cameras and family members why they feel compelled to step out of their current lives to try something new – at the risk of being shunned by their families.
“It’s just really hard to feel like you’re trapped in a box,” says Lizzie, 21. “No matter what you do, you can’t get out.”
“Sometimes a car goes whizzing past, and it’s just like ‘Why can’t I be in that car?’ ” says her costar, Iva, 19.
Here’s a quick look at the entire cast of Breaking Amish:
Betsy, 21, from Ohio: Adopted as a baby into an Amish household, she recently married an Amish man, but struggles with being a member of the community and has previously tried living outside the faith.
Devon, 21, from Indiana: Unsure of his future, Devon has long been conflicted about the Amish lifestyle and hopes his time in L.A. will offer some clarity.
Iva, 19, from Pennsylvania: Her parents divorced when she was young and her father left the community while her mother stayed. Iva has explored life outside the Amish in the past, but has never before been able to make it work.
Lizzie, 21, from Pennsylvania: Lizzie harbors a secret from her large Amish family that makes her want to explore a new path, even if she has never been able to integrate with the English before.
Matt, 24, from Pennsylvania: Two of his siblings have already left the Mennonite community his family joined when he was 7, and now Matt wonders if pursuing his interest in fashion design will inspire him to follow their footsteps.
To see more from the new Breaking Amish, which premieres July 21 (10 p.m. ET) on TLC, catch another sneak peek on Sunday’s new episode of Breaking Amish: Brave New World (also at 10 p.m. ET) on TLC.
