List of The Archers characters

Jill Archer née Patterson (born 3 October 1930) (Patricia Greene) is the widow of Phil Archer and matriarch of the family.  She was his second wife, and with him had four children: twins Shula and Kenton, and David and Elizabeth.  She is busily involved in village life and supports her children by taking on child-minding duties.  Jill is an active member of the Women's Institute, opened up a holiday cottage business, and is teaching her grandson, Josh, how to keep bees.   Jill has a less traditional outlook on life than her late husband, who had been a Justice of the Peace, reflected in her opposition to both fox hunting and private education.  Following a burglary at Glebe Cottage she was asked by David and Ruth to return to Brookfield which subsequently became permanent. In 2019, she surprised her family by announcing that she had met a new man - Leonard Berry, a widower who she met while visiting the Laurels. Since then, Jill and Leonard have enjoyed a cosy companionship, complicated slightly when Leonard thought Jill wanted them to get married - when she made it clear that she had no desire to have another husband, they happily resumed their relationship.

Christine Barford née Archer, formerly Johnson (born 21 December 1931) (Lesley Saweard, formerly played by Pamela Mant[1] and briefly Joyce Gibbs), is the younger sister of Phil. A skilled horsewoman, she ran the local riding stables for many years. In the early 1950s she was a close friend of Grace Fairbrother who later married her brother Phil. Christine married Paul Johnson; it was discovered she was infertile, and they adopted a son, Peter. In the mid-1970s Paul deserted the family and he was later killed in a helicopter crash in Germany. In 1979 Christine married George Barford, a gamekeeper, which was seen as a class transgression, even though her uncle, Tom Forrest was also a gamekeeper, and colleague of her future husband. Her marriage to George lasted over 25 years and was happy, but latterly they experienced difficult times as their house burned down due to an arson attack by Clive Horrobin. George died peacefully whilst they were waiting for the house to be re-built. Christine lived with Peggy Woolley for some years but in 2018 suffered a fall and went into The Laurels initially for respite but is intending to take up a place in an assisted living flat. She lost her capital in a fraud perpetuated by associates of Matt Crawford.

Peggy Woolley, née Perkins, formerly Archer (born Margaret Perkins, 13 November 1924) (June Spencer, briefly played by Thelma Rogers) is the widow of Phil's elder brother, Jack Archer, and of Jack Woolley. When married to Jack Archer, they managed (and later owned) the Bull. After many years of close friendship, Peggy married Jack Woolley. Peggy has two daughters, Jennifer and Lillian, and a son, Tony, by her first husband. She is indulgent of her grandchildren and has provided several of them with significant financial support. Although she was something of a left wing firebrand in her youth she is now very conservative living in The Lodge which was the gatehouse for Grey Gables.

Jennifer Aldridge, (née Archer, formerly Travers-Macy) (born Jennifer Elizabeth Archer, 1945) (Angela Piper) is the older daughter of Peggy Archer (and step-daughter of Jack Woolley). She is married to Brian Aldridge. For more details see below under Aldridge family.

Lilian Bellamy, née Archer (born 8 July 1947) (Sunny Ormonde, formerly played by Elizabeth Marlowe) is the twice-widowed, gin-soaked, chain-smoking second daughter of Peggy Archer (and step-daughter of Jack Woolley). After acquiring her second husband Ralph Bellamy in 1971, she left Ambridge to live with him in tax exile in the Channel Islands; she has by him a grown-up son James (rarely encountered except when he needs money). Bellamy senior died in 1980, but Lilian unaccountably returned to Ambridge in 2003 and took up with Matt Crawford (then a married man); her exploits cause much gnashing of teeth from her respectable sister Jennifer Aldridge. Lilian was elected to the parish council in January 2006. Lilian took dancing lessons from Mike Tucker after she discovered that Crawford's ex-wife was a much better dancer than she. In 2008 she and Crawford were briefly separated, and Lilian was an unwelcome guest at The Bull, but with the connivance of Sid and Jolene they were reunited. Crawford has since served a prison term for fraud. Their relationship was further tested when his long-lost brother Paul Morgan sought out, befriended, and ultimately fell in love with Lilian. After Matt's release the couple grew closer and ran property investment start-up Amside Holdings together – until Matt deserted her to live with another woman in Costa Rica. Since then she has formed a relationship with Justin Elliott, a wealthy businessman.

Tony Archer (born Anthony William Daniel Archer, 16 February 1951) (David Troughton, formerly played by Colin Skipp)[2] is the youngest child and only son of Peggy Archer (and step-son of Jack Woolley). In his younger days he romanced a string of girlfriends and led a laddish life before settling down to marry Pat, with whom he now runs a fully organic establishment at Bridge Farm. Despite owning an MG sports car, bought with a windfall from his mother, he is generally considered to be a rather dull man. His brother-in-law Brian Aldridge enjoys winding him up over farming matters, and dinner parties involving the two couples usually end in tears. Pat and Tony had three children, John, Helen and Tom. John was killed in a tractor accident.[3] Helen had a baby boy, Henry Ian Archer, through AI, a decision of which Tony initially disapproved. Tom runs a sausage business and makes pork ready meals under the Tom Archer brand. Tony suffered a heart attack in late February 2012, and a serious farmyard accident in autumn 2014. Having recovered from both, he now takes more of a back seat in the family business.

Pat Archer née Lewis (born Patricia Lewis, 10 January 1952) (Patricia Gallimore) Tony's wife since 1974 is of Welsh descent. Much taken with studying feminism in the mid-1980s she came close to having an affair with her lecturer, Roger, just before Bridge Farm entered the process of becoming organic. Affected by severe depression at the time of John's death, she discovered at the end of 2011 that he had fathered a child. Filled with remorse, Pat had strongly disapproved of Sharon, John's girlfriend, and this discovery turned into an obsession which caused problems for her family. She also had problems with her daughter Helen's new boyfriend Rob in 2014, especially given the affair and the break- down of a marriage within which they were brought together. Although she came to accept him after Helen made a drastic move and left her family home and moved in with Rob in February, she had questioned whether Rob had played a part in Helen quitting her long- running job at the Ambridge Organics store. Her deceased son John's teenage son Johnny took up residence at Bridge Farm when he came to the village but when Helen and her children returned both Tom and Johnny moved to Number 1, The Green owned by Will Grundy.

(See also Former principal characters.)

Shula Hebden-Lloyd, née Archer, previously Hebden (born Shula Mary Archer, 8 August 1958) (Judy Bennett) is the elder daughter of Phil and Jill and twin sister of Kenton. Her first husband, Mark Hebden, a solicitor, was killed in a road accident in 1994 that also involved her best friend Caroline Bone (later Sterling). Shula and Mark's son Daniel was born after the death of his father as a result of IVF treatment after a long struggle with infertility. Some years after Mark's death, Shula had an affair with the village doctor (who was himself living with Shula's hitherto good friend Usha Gupta), thus two-timing her boyfriend Alistair (the local vet) whom she subsequently married. This was in the context of Shula's devout Christianity and membership of the local Parish Council. She owns and runs the riding stables which formerly belonged to Christine Barford, her aunt. She used once to have great fun with her best friend, Caroline, but later Caroline became engrossed in her relationship with her husband Oliver Sterling and their business activities. After her marriage to Alistair, Shula lost her lightheartedness and became rather dour, self-centred and even, at times, sanctimonious, as evidenced by her attitude to the marriage to Usha Gupta, a Hindu, of the vicar, to whom Shula had been 'right-hand woman' for the parish. Coping with the childhood arthritis of her son, Daniel, did not help, nor did her husband's gambling addiction, which nearly destroyed their marriage before he finally admitted to owing huge sums to Matt Crawford and others.[4] The couple resolved to stay together; they remortgaged the business to pay off the debts and Alistair attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings. Daniel was expected to go to university to read Law in his father's footsteps, but upset his mother by joining the Royal Tank Regiment, though later she accepted his choice of career. In 2018, Shula stunned Alistair when she told him their marriage was over. Now divorced, they are still good friends and probably closer than they had been in the last few years of their marriage. In 2019, Shula surprised her family when she announced her intention to take the initial steps to becoming a Church of England vicar.

Alistair Lloyd (born 1962) (Michael Lumsden), Shula's ex-husband, is a vet. His father Professor Jim Lloyd (John Rowe) stayed with them at Christmas and New Year 2007-8 while his broken leg healed. A committed atheist he riled Shula and antagonised his son, but indulged Daniel and contrived to get along with everyone else, except for Phil who saw through him. Alistair mentored Ryan at Gamblers Anonymous.[5] Jim later relocated, bought his own property in Ambridge and went into a business partnership with Kenton which was dissolved when Kenton moved to the Bull. Currently Alistair is living Jim's house and Jazzer McCreary is also co-resident. In 2019 Alistair's sister Fiona Lloyd (Adjoa Andoh) visited Ambridge to celebrate her father Jim's birthday.

Kenton Archer (born Kenton Edward Archer, 8 August 1958) (Richard Attlee, formerly played by Graeme Kirk) is portrayed as the wastrel of the Archer family. Having turned his back on the family farm to join the Merchant Navy, Kenton tried his hand at a number of ventures, including selling antiques and running a wine bar. He disappeared to Australia and New Zealand for several years and was married (originally to gain a visa, though they subsequently fell in love), had a daughter (Meriel), and divorced before returning home. Kenton's former partner, Kathy Perks, is the ex-wife of Sid Perks, the late landlord of The Bull. His current wife is Sid's widow, Jolene whom he married in autumn 2013 at Lower Loxley. Together they run the Bull.

Jolene Archer, formerly Perks (Buffy Davis), widow of Sid Perks, whose third wife she was, and landlady of the Bull. When younger she was a stalwart of the Borsetshire Country and Western scene (under the name The Lily of Layton Cross), and object of Eddie Grundy's affections, much to Clarrie's distress. Following Sid's untimely death she formed a relationship with Kenton Archer, and they were married in 2013.

David Archer (born David Thomas Archer, 18 September 1959) (Timothy Bentinck, formerly played by Nigel Carrivick) is the second son of Phil and Jill and, as the only child of the four to show any interest in, or aptitude for, farming, has assumed responsibility for Brookfield Farm. Over recent years he has become increasingly caring, for example driving up to Northumberland to bring his widowed mother-in-law to stay, and renting a piece of land to Joe Grundy to allow him to keep the barn he had erected without planning permission. Brookfield has suffered in recent years from bovine TB, but David is enthusiastic about his herd of Herefords. His cowman's heavy-handed advice (which he and Ruth reluctantly accepted) that they should dispense with the services of Shula's husband as vet for their dairy herd in favour of a specialist caused a serious family rift, and was followed by his near-affair with Sophie Barlow. Recently, he bought an old tractor, dubbed Rufus, which he has restored.

Ruth Archer, née Pritchard (born 16 June 1968) (Felicity Finch) is the wife of David Archer. Unusually the character comes from a real rather than fictional place, Prudhoe in Northumberland. She came to Ambridge as a Harper Adams student looking for agricultural work experience in 1987, and promptly met David, who was keen to settle down: the couple married within two years. They have three children: Philippa (Pip), Josh and Ben. Ruth survived breast cancer which struck in 2000, undergoing a mastectomy operation. Ruth's utterance "Oh noooooo", spoken in her Northumberland accent, was frequently parodied on the BBC Radio Four comedy programme Dead Ringers. In an unpopular and heavily criticised plotline Ruth teetered on the brink of an affair with farm employee Sam Batton in the autumn of 2006. Many listeners considered Ruth's behaviour during this storyline to be entirely out of character, and therefore unbelievable. Others thought her immature self-centred vacillation was entirely in character, and it was the largely off-air rehabilitation of the marriage and the family's 'blind eye' that was unbelievable. She has since undergone breast reconstruction surgery to restore listeners' empathy with her (not entirely successfully), and coped rather better than David with the sudden transformation of priggish daughter Pip into a very stroppy seventeen-year-old with a much older boyfriend, Jude, who eventually dropped her. More recently, Ruth has suffered a miscarriage and championed a potential move from Brookfield to Prudhoe should "Route B" be constructed, breaking the farm in two. Although David went along with this at first, he had doubts and confessed he could never leave Ambridge.

Elizabeth Pargetter, née Archer (born Elizabeth Ann Archer, 21 April 1967) (Alison Dowling). The youngest child of Phil and Jill Archer, Elizabeth is the widowed lady of Lower Loxley. Following her marriage to Nigel Pargetter, she took to her role like a duck to water and her quick mind and sound business sense ensure that the Hall runs like a well-oiled machine. Her practical side was the perfect grounding for her eccentric and slightly scatty husband, who died in a fall on 2 January 2011. As the family rallied round, devastated Elizabeth drew her precious twins close to her. After David admitted to her that it had been he who had convinced her husband to go on the roof in the first-place, Elizabeth exploded in a violent rage, and swore she would never forgive him. After 18 months David was being targeted by the Horrobins and Elizabeth realised the feud had gone on for too long and family relations returned to normal.

Helen Titchener, née Archer (born 16 April 1979) (Louiza Patikas, formerly played by Frances Graham and Bonnie Engstrom), Tony and Pat Archer's daughter, makes a cheese called "Borsetshire Blue" in the farm dairy and runs the organic farm shop, Ambridge Organics, in Borchester. After the suicide of her gamekeeper partner Greg Turner in 2004,[6] she suffered from anorexia nervosa, but recovered after a time at a specialist clinic. In 2006 she dated a journalist who quickly rejected her; this subsequently threatened a return to her earlier problems. On New Year's Day 2007, whilst driving drunk, she knocked down Mike Tucker[7] but Tom, a passenger in the car, took the blame. The shock of this event made her re-evaluate her life and she has since helped develop a new type of cheese with Oliver Sterling. After another failed relationship she decided that she wanted a child more than she wanted a partner, and became pregnant by artificial insemination – a decision which caused friction within the family, particularly alienating Tony. Father and daughter were reconciled, however, after the birth of her son Henry Ian Archer, who was delivered by emergency caesarean section the day after New Years Day 2011, Helen having been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. In 2013 she was attracted to the recently arrived dairy unit manager, Rob Titchener. Intimacy ensued, although Rob was still married to Jess, who remained in Hampshire caring for her sick father. Helen and Henry moved in with Rob in early 2014, and Helen and Rob married in summer 2015. During 2015, the increasing indications Rob was coercively controlling and emotionally abusing Helen, became a major plot line. In April 2016, after meeting secretly with Jess, Helen stabbed Rob after he refused to let her and Henry leave (placing a knife in her hands, goading her to end her own life, then lashing out at Henry when the child interrupted the confrontation). Subsequently, she was arrested and charged with attempted murder. In an hour-long special broadcast on Sunday 11 September 2016, she was ultimately acquitted after the jury decided that she had acted in self-defence.

Tom Archer (born Thomas Archer, 25 February 1981) (William Troughton; previously Tom Graham)[8] is the younger son of Tony and Pat. He took over his elder brother's pig herd after John was killed in a tractor accident, going on to produce organic sausages. Tom and his then girlfriend Kirsty faced criminal charges in 1999 for the destruction of a field of genetically modified crops on Brian Aldridge's land, but neither was convicted. Tom is highly ambitious for his sausage-making business, but his contract with a supermarket chain nearly bankrupted him, despite his disastrous affair with their buyer, Tamsin. Tom was engaged to Brenda Tucker between May 2009 and April 2013.

Tom was decided to throw in his lot with Brian Aldridge, husband of his aunt Jennifer, becoming a junior partner in the business. In the process, the sausage business lost its organic status, which created further tension between the families. In February 2006 he started dating Brenda Tucker, having provided support to her when her mother died suddenly two months earlier. Later the same year, Tom expanded his business and set up a new independent business, Gourmet Grills, essentially a burger van albeit specialising in high-quality meat products. When Helen ran over Mike Tucker,[7] Tom took the blame and unaware that it had been Helen driving, Mike turned against him, opposing his relationship with Brenda. Mike subsequently discovered the truth, Helen paid for the driving course that Tom was sentenced to attend, and Tom and Brenda moved into one of the holiday cottages at Home Farm. After Will Grundy bought No. 1 The Green, Tom and Brenda rented the house from Will. After a brief split from Brenda, they got back together and got engaged on 29 May 2009.[9] In April 2013 Brenda decided to end the engagement and the couple separated. Tom later got back together with Kirsty, with whom he got engaged at Christmas 2013, the ring being in the last Christmas cracker, but after a crisis of confidence, Tom broke up with Kirsty in the vestry moments before their planned wedding. Subsequently, Tom sold his business and moved to Canada. He returned to Ambridge as soon as he heard about his father's accident.

After his sister Helen's trial and acquittal, Tom and Kirsty got back together for one evening and she later discovered that she was pregnant. While preparing for the birth of the child Tom applied for, and gained a Nuffield Scholarship, which he hoped would enable him to set up an organic baby food business. Sadly, Kirsty miscarried and Tom lost all enthusiasm for baby food, returning from his travels instead with a passion for fermented food, something not widely shared in the family or the village. While on the Nuffield Scheme, Tom fell for a previous Nuffield Scholar and then mentor, Natasha. After a long period of pining, Tom discovered that she was similarly attracted and they married after a whirlwind romance. They currently live in the flat above the village shop.

Pip Archer (born Philippa Rose Archer, 17 February 1993) (Daisy Badger;[10] previously Helen Monks) was christened Philippa in homage to David's father and Rose after Ruth's aunt: the eldest Brookfield child is known in the family as Pip, and at college as Phiz. She inherited some of grandfather Phil's interest in music, learning to play the piano and singing solos at carol concerts. Pip has a clear interest in farming, and also caring for the environment. Pip split from her first boyfriend called Jonathan, a boy she met at her YFC (Young Farmers Club) and began an affair with a much older man, a mature student at Borchester College called Jude Simpson. Her parents did not approve. Jude eventually left the country without her after leading Pip to believe that they were going on a round the world backpacking trip together. After a work placement in Yorkshire she became more focused on her future and the future of the farm. She finished her degree in the summer of 2015 and accepted a post with an international agri-business with which she could gain experience of farming around the world. But during the initial orientation, she changed her mind and decided to return home to Ambridge and work with her parents at Brookfield. She became involved with Toby Fairbrother a son of Robin Fairbrother (who briefly romanced Elizabeth many years ago). As a result, Pip became pregnant leading to the birth of Rosie Ruth Grace Archer, her third forename recognising the Fairbrother heritage.

Josh Archer, played by Angus Imrie,[11] made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 September 1997.[12] He was originally played by Cian Cheesbrough.[12] Josh is Ruth and David Archer's eldest son, and Pip and Ben's brother. Growing up, Josh helps his parents out around the farm. He also takes part in a spate of graffiti around the village for which he is grounded.[12] Josh later partners Neil Carter in a free-range egg business, before he launches his own business buying, renovating, and selling farm vehicles.

Ben Archer played by Ben Norris.  Ben is David and Ruth Archer's youngest son, and Pip and Josh's brother, having been born on 15 March 2002.  He has had a remarkably quiet childhood as Brookfield has been less important in the village with Bridge Farm elbowing other farms out of the spotlight.  He has spent much time playing computer games with Rúairi Donovan (Brian Aldridge’s son) and since gaining a voice they have taken a huge interest in off-road driving and Ben helped Jill in the kitchen at Christmas. Ben debuted on 28 October 2018.[13][14] As a reward for his misdemeanours and to get him interested in farming Ben is now training the new sheepdog "Bess".

The Grundys were minor characters until the early 1980s, when they were developed to be a working-class foil to the Archer family.

Joe Grundy (born 18 September 1921) (Edward Kelsey, formerly played by Reg Johnston and Haydn Jones) is the oldest of this well-established local family and often provides comic relief. Joe maintained for many years that the Archer dynasty had robbed them of their estate. After years attempting to keep the family farm afloat, they were made bankrupt in 2000 - an opportunity for the mainly urban audience to witness the personal and family tragedy of farm sales – and were forced to move to a sink estate in Borchester. Joe took this especially hard and in one of the most harrowing episodes ever broadcast, bludgeoned his beloved ferrets to death with a hammer. The family moved back to Ambridge shortly thereafter. Lately he has begun to assist Oliver Sterling in the management of a new dairy herd at Grange Farm and has celebrated his ninetieth birthday. Following the death of Bob Pullen in 2012, Joe became Ambridge's oldest living resident. He died in his sleep at the age of 98 in October 2019.

Alf Grundy (born 13 November 1944), Joe's oldest son, and a rogue. Appears intermittently in the series and is usually up to no good.[15]

Eddie Grundy (born 15 March 1951) (Trevor Harrison) is Joe's son and Clarrie's husband. During their marriage he was unrequitedly enamoured of Jolene Rogers (later Perks, now Archer), his partner in a country and western double act. Eddie's hopes of a career in music appear to have been permanently dashed. He has a history of involving himself in numerous dubious money-making schemes and at one point stood trial for unwittingly selling condemned meat. He mainly makes his living by raising turkeys for Christmas, laying patios and selling novelty garden gnomes. He makes cider and kept a pig called Barbarella. Joe has participated in some of Eddie's money-making schemes; at other times he scolds his son: legality never dictates his response.

Clarrie Grundy née Larkin (born 12 May 1954) (Heather Bell, part created by Bell[16] and also formerly played by Fiona Mathieson and Rosalind Adams) is Eddie Grundy's long-suffering wife, having married him in 1982. She became involved with him after her late father Jethro employed him to remove the range in their home. Clarrie spends much of her time sorting out problems created by her husband, sons and father-in-law. She works at the dairy at Bridge Farm, where Pat Archer is a good friend, and formerly worked behind the bar at the Bull. In 2011 she was responsible for an outbreak of E-Coli at Bridge Farm.

William Grundy (born 9 February 1983) (Philip Molloy) is the elder son of Eddie and Clarrie. He is gamekeeper for Borchester Land; his boss is Brian Aldridge. In August 2004, he married Emma Carter and they had a son, George, but she harboured a dark secret. Whilst Will was engaged to Emma, she enjoyed two one-night stands with his brother Ed, including one on her hen night, leading her to believe that Ed was George's father. Eventually she left Will for Ed, taking George with her, although George was later shown by DNA paternity testing to be Will's child. Will's existing rivalry with Ed became even more intense: to Clarrie's despair, the brothers engaged in physical tussles and bitter arguments over Emma and George. In 2008 he was left £120,000 by a relative, and bought the Carters' former home from Matt Crawford, a property his friend Roy Tucker had been interested in. Will and Ed's rivalry culminated in a fight in which Will nearly killed Ed, and Will moved temporarily to another gamekeeping job in Gloucestershire. Christmas 2008 saw Will reunite with ex-girlfriend Nic, whom he originally split from when he saw her hit George. After returning to Ambridge in February 2009, Will pushed for Nic and her 2 children (Jake (then 4) and Mia (then 2)), to move back in with him: they did, and in 2010 Nic started occasional bar work at The Bull, a career move which traditionally leads to expanded roles. 1 January 2012 saw Will & Nic get married at the local Grey Gables Hotel followed by a honeymoon in Cap Verde which on their return led to the renaming of their cottage to Greenwood.[17] Will's dog is called Meg. Will and Nic have a daughter Poppy. Nic died unexpectedly of sepsis in February 2018.[18] Despite being severely affected by her death, Will's pride and stubbornness prevented him from seeking counselling for his grief, and his worsened temper and aggression led to him driving away both Jake and Mia, leaving him with only his biological daughter, Poppy.

Ed Grundy (born 28 September 1984) (Barry Farrimond) is the younger son of Eddie and Clarrie. Ed took up his father's interest in music and aspired to be in a band. A farm labourer, Ed secured a job in France and planned to move there secretly with Emma and George, but they were thwarted in November 2005 by Will. In May 2006, Ed vanished after Emma left the caravan and moved into her parents' home, saying it was for the sake of her baby's health. He remained missing, despite a police investigation into his disappearance, until July 2006 when he was admitted to hospital after being beaten up while sleeping rough in Borchester. Whilst living as a vagrant, he had become addicted to alcohol and crack cocaine. Ed had a history of drug use and petty crime including joyriding. On returning to the village, Ed at first sought refuge with mentor and past employer, Oliver Sterling, who did his best to help him face his demons and abandon his vices. With the additional help of family support and counselling Ed has made major steps towards recovery, demonstrated by his increased dedication to Oliver Sterling's dairy farm. In April 2011 their daughter, Keira Susan, was born. In late 2012, financial troubles reflecting earlier reductions in milk prices forced the couple to move back in with Emma's parents.

Emma Grundy, née Carter (Emerald O'Hanrahan, formerly played by Felicity Jones) is the daughter of Susan and Neil Carter, who were horrified when their daughter announced she was marrying into the Grundy family. When Will discovered her infidelity with his brother, she moved with Ed and baby George to a caravan outside her parents' home. A parental testing showed that despite Emma's certainty to the contrary, George was Will's son. She returned to live with her parents in 2006, but moved out to live at a cottage on Brookfield Farm with Ed and Georgie as a family together. New daughter Keira was born in 2011 and following financial problems, they returned to live with Emma's parents in 2012. In late 2019, Emma and Ed briefly separated, though they have since reconciled.

Brian Aldridge (born Brian Jeremy Aldridge, 20 November 1943) (Charles Collingwood), considered by some to be the villain of the serial, is sometimes seen as one of the most interesting and subtle characters. Married to Jack and Peggy Archer's daughter Jennifer, he is primarily a farmer, but has interests in a number of businesses, including Borchester Land.[19] and a former partnership in Tom Archer's sausage business. Brian has had several extramarital affairs during his marriage to Jennifer, including at least one with (the then) Caroline Bone (1985) and more recently with the Irish-born translator Siobhán Hathaway (Caroline Lennon), which produced his only son, Rúairi. He has an uncomfortable relationship with his stepson, Adam, which has been the source of some friction with his wife. Brian's somewhat cavalier attitude to regulations came back to haunt him, when it transpired that in the 1970s he had taken money to allow the dumping of toxic chemicals on Home Farm land, which by the late 2010s had started to leak into the Am. Brian was prosecuted by The Environment Agency and forced to retire from active management of the farm. To pay his fines he and Jenny were forced to sell the farmhouse and move into rented accommodation.

Jennifer Aldridge, née Archer (born 7 January 1945[20]) (Angela Piper) is the elder daughter of Peggy Woolley by her first husband, Jack Archer. In early years her character was the hippie of the Archer family, her first child, Adam, being — sensationally at the time — the illegitimate result of a fling with a cowman, Paddy Redmond. She married a travelling businessman, Roger Travers-Macy, in the late 1960s and had a daughter, Debbie. She then divorced him and married Brian Aldridge. With Brian she had two daughters, Kate and Alice. Jennifer has endured Brian's series of affairs over the years, partly by having one affair with her ex-husband, though Brian has long suspected John Tregorran as having rivalled him for Jennifer's affections at one time. Jennifer's current main source of worry is the behaviour of her gin-soaked, chain-smoking sister Lilian, who has moved back into the village. This concern has been shared with her brother Tony, whom Jennifer is usually keen to put down.

Adam Macy (born 22 June 1967) (Andrew Wincott) is the first child of Jennifer Aldridge, his father being former Brookfield farmhand Paddy Redmond (only confirmed by Jennifer herself in 2015.) Adam was adopted by Roger Travers-Macy, Jennifer's first husband. Adam lived abroad for many years, mainly in Kenya, helping breed goats, but came back to the family farm when a major relationship broke up.[21] After a year or so, he fell in love with Ian Craig, the chef at Grey Gables. Ian and Adam's liaison has elicited little moral outrage or criticism in the village, with the exception of Sid Perks, the late landlord of the pub, and Adam's grandmother Peggy Woolley, who was distinctly uncomfortable with the relationship. Adam and Ian considered embarking on parenthood; Ian had plans to artificially inseminate his old friend, Madds, and share responsibility for the child they hoped to produce, but Madds then fell in love with another man and changed her mind.[22] The producers of The Archers maintain this was a very popular plot nationwide. Ian proposed to Adam and the pair entered a civil partnership on 14 December 2006. In mid-2012, Adam suffered a blow to the head while attempting to stop a robbery, but has since recovered. Once again, Adam and Ian contemplated parenthood; in 2019, surrogate and friend Lexi gave birth to Alexander Macy-Craig (Xander). [23]

Debbie Aldridge, formerly Gerrard, née Travers-Macy (born 24 December 1970) (Tamsin Greig) is the daughter of Jennifer and Roger Travers-Macy, but chooses to use the surname of her stepfather Brian. After a spell at the University of Exeter she returned home to get away from a relationship with Canadian lecturer Simon Gerrard (Garrick Hagon); years later Debbie got involved with Simon again and in spite of Brian's forebodings they were married. However, Debbie subsequently discovered that Simon was being unfaithful,[24] and they divorced. When Adam returned from Africa, a bout of sibling rivalry erupted: to a certain extent, this remains ongoing, although there are indications that Adam and Debbie are reaching an understanding. Debbie is currently based in Hungary, where she runs the estate owned by a consortium to which Brian belongs (this gives the actress, Tamsin Greig, who has moved on to other projects, the ability to appear in the show from time to time). She occasionally visits home; and the installation of a new webcam also allows Debbie to talk and appear to everyone via computer. Debbie briefly returned to Ambridge again in 2011 with a proposal, now implemented, to build a super intensive dairy farm, which would go on to be run by Rob Titchner.

Kate Madikane, née Aldridge (born 30 September 1977) (Perdita Avery, formerly played by Kellie Bright and Susie Riddell), is the elder daughter of Brian and Jennifer. Kate inherited her mother's hippie tendencies, but her narcissistic personality was unique to her. She gave birth to her daughter Phoebe in a tipi at the Glastonbury Festival. Roy Tucker is the father, with whom Phoebe lives in Ambridge. Kate emigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa where she married Lucas Madikane (Connie M'Gadzah). She had another daughter, Noluthando ("Nolly") and, born July 2007, a son, Sipho (Xhosa for 'gift'). In 2015, she returned to Ambridge, supposedly to enrol in another course at Felpersham University, but Phoebe subsequently discovered that Lucas, upon learning that Kate had been having yet another affair, had ended their marriage and thrown her out. In 2011, previous voice actor Susie Riddell returned to the show, this time playing Tracey Horrobin.

Alice Carter, née Aldridge (born 29 September 1988) (Hollie Chapman), the younger daughter of Brian and Jennifer, studied engineering at Southampton University. Her best friend is the vicar's daughter, Amy Franks. She likes horses and has a horse, Spearmint. She is friends with both Adam and Debbie. In considering joining the RAF, who ultimately rejected her application, she came into conflict with Amy's pacifist views. In 2010 she married Chris Carter (below), the farrier son of Neil and Susan. She recently graduated from Felpersham University with a master's degree and worked as an aeronautical engineer before being fired over her drinking. She is currently pregnant and receiving treatment for alcoholism.

Phoebe Aldridge (Lucy Morris) was born 28 June 1998 in a tipi in the former Tipi Field at Glastonbury Festival, and lived with her father Roy Tucker and his wife Hayley until their relationship broke up in 2014. She lived with Brian and Jennifer until she became exasperated with her mother Kate's thoughtlessness during her A-levels and moved back in with Roy. She has graduated from Oxford University and is now leader of a rewilding scheme aiming to improve the natural life around Ambridge along with Pip Archer and Rex Fairbrother.

Rúairi Donovan (born 14 November 2002[25]) (Arthur Hughes since 2018) is the son of Brian Aldridge and Siobhán Hathaway.[26] His persistent Irish accent – despite his having been born and raised during his earliest years in Germany and, after only the briefest of stays with his Irish grandmother, educated for several years since then in England – was criticised in the BBC's Feedback programme as implausible, since young children rapidly adapt their accent to their surroundings. He no longer has an Irish accent,[27] following a change of actor in 2012.[28]

Elizabeth Pargetter, née Archer (Alison Dowling) is Phil and Jill's youngest daughter and, along with Kenton, at first rejected village life, attempting a career in publicity in London. She returned to Ambridge but endured a disastrous relationship with local businessman Cameron Fraser (which led to Elizabeth having an abortion) before finally marrying Nigel Pargetter after a relationship some years before. Elizabeth and Nigel developed their stately home, Lower Loxley, as a conference venue. Elizabeth, born with a heart defect, became pregnant and had twins, Lily and Freddie, but the strain of the pregnancy on her heart meant that she soon afterwards had to undergo a heart valve replacement operation. Elizabeth is highly critical of the way David manages the Brookfield estate, and is very concerned to ensure that her family receives its due portion of the estate. Elizabeth's mother-in-law Julia lived in the family pile until her demise in 2005. She was highly critical of Elizabeth, who was married to her son Nigel until his death from a fall in January 2011.

Lily Rosalind and Frederick Hugo "Freddie" Pargetter (Katie Redford and Toby Laurence, formerly played by Georgie Feller and Jack Firth) are Elizabeth and Nigel's twins.[29][30] They were both born on 12 December 1999 via Caesarean section because of Elizabeth's heart condition. Freddie had to stay in a special care unit for several days as he was underweight. Before his death, Nigel wanted his children to attend exams for the Felpersham Cathedral School. Lily is the more easily angered, sarcastic and pretentious twin; while Freddie, is more sweet-natured and very sensitive, though also more cocky and moody at times. In October 2018, Freddie was given a 12-month youth detention order for dealing in narcotics.

Roy Tucker (born 2 February 1978) (Ian Pepperell) was formerly part of a teenage gang which perpetrated a series of racist attacks on Usha Gupta; he gave them her address. Realising the error of his ways, he went on to gain a degree in business studies at Felpersham University. He worked at Grey Gables, and was promoted to deputy manager. After Nigel Pargetter's death, he began working at Lower Loxley, initially just to assist Elizabeth. However, he was eventually offered a permanent job there. He had an on/off relationship with Kate Aldridge, which resulted in their daughter Phoebe being born in 1998, but then married Hayley. Roy, Hayley and Phoebe lived with Mike Tucker at Willow Farm. Attempts to find an affordable home for his family met with failure until Mike split Willow Farm in two. Roy had an affair with Elizabeth in 2014 which, though brief, led to the end of his marriage.

Neil Carter (born 22 May 1957) (Brian Hewlett) is another business failure. Susan wanted him to be a white collar worker but he decided that he was a pigman at heart. He used to be Tom's partner in a piggery. The family lived in a caravan, after selling their house, until he finished a self-build house on his own land. He dislikes all Grundys but especially Ed, who, until his disappearance, lived in the caravan with Emma and George.

Susan Carter, née Horrobin (born 10 October 1963) (Charlotte Martin), the village gossip, briefly became the most notorious Archers character ever when her imprisonment at Christmas 1993 for shielding her armed-robber brother Clive Horrobin led to the launch of the "Free the Ambridge One" campaign. Questions were asked in the House of Commons of then Home Secretary Michael Howard. Her aspirational tendencies took a hammering when daughter Emma married into the Grundy family in 2004, but in 2006 she was approved by the Royal Mail for the position of sub-postmistress despite her criminal record. She had previously worked for several years at the village shop and post office, and as Tom Archer's assistant in his sausage-making business. Clive Horrobin returned to the village to visit their dying mother in October 2011.

Christopher Carter (born 22 June 1988) (Wilf Scolding, formerly played by Will Sanderson-Thwaite) is the younger offspring of the Carter family. His mother had some difficulty bonding with him when he was born with a cleft lip. Now a farrier by occupation, a few years ago he had a brief relationship with Venetia, the daughter of a prominent Borsetshire family. His mother rather desperately encouraged this, to Neil's disapproval, but the couple soon found themselves incompatible, and Christopher finished the liaison. He began seeing Alice to the barely concealed delight of his social climbing mother and the scarcely concealed horror of Alice's mother, Jennifer Aldridge. The couple married unexpectedly in Las Vegas during a 2010 summer holiday.

Tracy Horrobin (Susie Riddell) is the younger sister of Susan Carter and frequently a great embarrassment to her. A single mother to Brad and Chelsea, she was a long running silent character before finding a voice. After bouncing between dead end jobs for years she convinced Oliver Sterling that she would be a breath of fresh air at Grey Gables, where she now works with Lynda Snell as a receptionist. When the village cricket team opened itself to female players she joined the team, eventually winning an election to become team captain. She is an erratic bowler, who often has to be stopped from excessive sledging.

Clive Horrobin (born 9 November 1972) (Alex Jones) is the brother of Susan Carter; he has spent much of his life in prison, but, to the consternation of many, is an occasional visitor to Ambridge. He conducted an armed siege at the village shop in 1993, in 1997 assaulted gamekeeper George Barford knocking him unconscious and set fire to the Barford's home gutting the building in 2004. In October 2011, he returned to the village to visit his ailing mother.[37] In late 2012, Clive was sent back to prison after breaking the terms of his licence and entering Ambridge to confront his sister, Tracy, and his brother's wife, Donna.

Satya Khanna (Auntie Satya; Jamila Massey) An occasional visitation upon long-suffering niece Usha Gupta. Forever trying to give Usha unwanted relationship advice or a welcome shoulder to cry on, and architect of numerous failed matchmaking ruses. Thanks to Usha's parents' disapproval toward their daughter's lifestyle, Satya provides the main link with her family. No mean cook, Satya often arrives bearing food parcels for her culinarily inept niece.

Over the years some of the original cast members have died, left the show or retired and their characters have had to be replaced or killed off by the scriptwriters.

The Archers is famous for its silent characters, who often play important roles in the narrative despite not being played by actors. They are numerous, and most only "appear" once or twice. Some of the better known are:

Baggy, and Fat Paul — disreputable friends of Eddie Grundy. Snatch Foster was formerly also a friend of Eddie Grundy, but ended up in prison for selling condemned meat to him.

Bailey, or Baillie — spelling uncertain, Ian's second in command in the Grey Gables kitchen. His or her gender was not specified for some considerable time, but definitely referred to as 'he' by Oliver Sterling in the Xmas Eve episode.

Barry, barman at The Bull, given to popping crisp packets during slow shifts, and sporting a 'manbun' among other remarkable fashion statements.

Bob Pullen — nonagenarian resident of Manorfield Close. His weak bladder was a regular source of amusement to speaking characters. Mr. Pullen died in late 2012.

Derek Fletcher — "incomer" (only been in Ambridge since 1979) who lives on the Glebelands housing development. A former chair of the parish council, he is known for his 'NIMBY' views and collection of garden gnomes. In a standing joke, he is often described as excessively talkative (which is ironic, given his status as a silent character).

Edgar Titcombe — head gardener at Lower Loxley, who is married to the widowed Mrs. Pugsley. Noted for always wearing a battered hat. Known universally as simply 'Titcombe'.

Eileen Titcombe (formerly Pugsley) — housekeeper at Lower Loxley. Known for many years as just 'Mrs Pugsley', until her marriage to Titcombe.

Freda Fry — wife of Bert Fry. Her cooking at The Bull was widely admired. Until she gave her notice in January 2007, she worked as a cleaner at Brookfield. She died of pneumonia in the wake of the "Great Ambridge Flood" of 2015.

Jean Harvey — appeared in the 2015 Christmas production of Calendar Girls broadcast on Sunday 27 December 2015 at 7.15pm (played by Siân Phillips but was never heard on The Archers itself). She lives at Bull Farm.

Peter — Partner of Sean Myerson who was the landlord of the Cat and Fiddle pub.

Jessica — buxom falconer at Lower Loxley. Was known to have attracted Nigel Pargetter's eye.

(John) Higgs — Jack Woolley's chauffeur and handyman at Grey Gables. Often thought by Grey Gables staff to be rather sinister.

Mandy Beesborough — Brian missed his daughter Alice's birth because he was at the races with her. She has daughters including India, whom Oliver and Caroline's foster child Carly described as having "an arse the size of a continent".

Neville Booth (bellringer) and his nephew Nathan (clear skies enthusiast and parish council candidate).

Sabrina and Richard Thwaite — Residents of the salubrious Grange Spinney. Richard, a commuting accountant, rarely gets a mention beyond his involvement in the cricket team. Sabrina's somewhat extreme competitive streak, especially (though by no means exclusively) when it comes to sporting activities, gets her featured at least twice a month. Often discussed in male only company due to her 'physical attributes'. In December 2010, Sabrina was heard when she played the part of the cat in the village pantomime Dick Whittington - however, she was only heard to make cat noises and didn't have any lines.

Shane — did the cooking at Nelson's wine bar in the 1980s. He was famed for his legendary quiche. Virtually silent: he once called out 'Yoo-hoo'.

Trudy Porter — silent for 34 years, until 4 April 2006, when listener Christine Hunt played her in a charity special, after her husband paid £17,000 to Children in Need.

Tilly and Molly Button — Sisters of indeterminate age (Molly, the older of the two, is hinted to be in her mid teenage years), who in recent times seem to have supplanted the Horrobins as the village malefactors. However, their misdeeds tend toward relatively harmless mischief-making, rather than criminal activity (although on one occasion, they committed criminal damage by vandalizing Rob Titchener's car, and it was eventually established that they were the 'bunting thieves'). Molly Button has a degree of terpsichorean talent and is often mentioned in the context of village performances.

Numerous animals have been repeatedly referred to during The Archers' run – usually played by the special effects department as necessary:

• Bartleby Joe Grundy's pony pulls his trap around the area. Likes carrots and getting his oats.
• Bill and Ben Two kittens given by Joe to Peggy. Bill has died, and Ben was run over by Brian Aldridge.
• Captain Jack Woolley's Staffordshire Bull Terrier dog was a frequent nuisance to guests and staff at Grey Gables, and was regularly indulged by his owner. Captain died suddenly while Jack was on his honeymoon with Peggy.
• Chandler Alice Carter (née Aldridge)'s horse.
• Clint a turkey destined for the Christmas table in 1989 until given a reprieve by a young William Grundy.
• Constanza, Wolfgang (died) and Salieri Lynda Snell's beloved llamas.
• Casper Freddy Pargetter's pony.
• Comet Helen Archer's pony, which almost died of colic.
• Eccles the peacock at the Bull. Died when hit by Kenton in his car.
• Hilda Ogden Donated to Peggy by her hairdresser; the "cat from hell" named after the Coronation Street character.
• Jip murdered by Will Grundy
• Lone Ranger Freda Fry's stray cat who died in 2007 from a bite feared to have been from an escaped snake. This led to stories of The Worm of Ambridge, a legendary monster, resurfacing — thanks to Joe Grundy's fertile imagination.
• Midnight the horse loved by Grace Archer, who met her death trying to save Midnight from a fire in the stables.
• Otto a bull who attacked and seriously injured Tony Archer in 2014.
• Pensioner Lilian's horse when she lived at The Bull with her parents, Jack and Peggy Archer.
• Ruby mischievous birthday present from Matt to Lilian.
• Sammy Peggy Woolley's cat was always finding himself in scrapes and being indulged by his owner until he spent the last of his nine lives.
• Spearmint Alice Carter (née Aldridge)'s pony.
• Scruff Lynda Snell's dog. Missing after the Ambridge flood of 2015 but found alive and well at Christmas in 2015 by Lynda. Died peacefully on Lynda's Resurgam stone on 31 July 2016.
• Timus a Corgi, present from Walter and Bill Sawyer to Phil after Grace's death.
• Topper Nigel Pargetter's horse, after Nigel's death sold to Shula. Died of liver failure July 2018.
• Bess Brookfield sheepdog being trained by Ben.

• Characters at [BBC Radio 4 Online]
• Cast list
• The Archers Family Tree