A star and a legend: Archers actor June Spencer was the last of her kind

On Sunday, May 14, 1950, a group of actors gathered in a Birmingham studio to record the first episode of a new radio drama centered around an English farming community. They likely didn’t think much of it at the time. The next day, they returned to work on a more serious project – a radio adaptation of George Eliot's "Mill on the Floss." Despite the lack of excitement from the BBC executives, the show was approved and began airing regularly on New Year’s Day the following year. Now, "The Archers," which airs six days a week on BBC Radio 4, stands as the longest-running soap opera in the world. However, with the passing of actress June Spencer at the age of 105, the last connection to that original pilot has come to an end.

With the exception of a short hiatus when her kids were young, Spencer played a crucial role in The Archers from her initial appearance as Peggy — a Cockney girl out of her element in the countryside, often frustrated by her husband, Jack Archer — all the way to the last episodes she recorded in 2022. Her voice became a constant presence for the people of Britain, following them through the challenges of postwar rationing and the final days of horse-drawn farming, as the show reflected the significant changes in British culture, society, and agriculture. The Archers debuted three decades after BBC radio was established. Over the next 70 years, television became popular, commercial channels and satellite television emerged, and the internet, streaming, and social media took over. Despite this media evolution, Peggy’s voice — sometimes scolding, other times soothing, often exasperated yet always loving — remained, with only her London accent fading over time.

Spencer, renowned for her comedy and writing of sketches and satire, embodied an era of versatile repertory actors who valued precision and adaptability. In the radio series The Archers, she often had to assume various roles with different accents within the same scene. During our video interview in 2020, set against the backdrop of the pandemic, she appeared flawlessly styled and communicated with the articulate clarity of a performer from a bygone era. She reminisced about the early days of the show when she was part of the drama repertory company at the BBC’s Midland Region, saying, “We used to rehearse each scene individually and then record the entire episode in one take. If someone slipped up, it could be quite the trouble— we’d have to start from scratch and redo everything. That was rare, though, as we were accustomed to live performances. With hardly any television back then, we had complete creative freedom. It was a delight to work in.” Even through the screen, her charisma shone through. Spencer was truly a star and an icon.

Unlike contemporary soap operas, The Archers doesn’t quickly discard characters. They are individuals who live, age, are born, and pass away at the same rate as the audience. Often, the same actors portray them for many years. These characters aren’t just part of the show during the time you listen; they linger in your memory, serving as familiar, even close, companions in life. Time is a key element of the series, giving the characters a unique depth that helps them endure when the writing isn't at its best. In fact, moments of inconsistency can enhance their realism, as real people aren’t always as perfectly consistent as writers might like to depict.

Spencer’s portrayal of Peggy Archer serves as a prime example. Over the years, she evolved into a complex and multifaceted character: a Londoner who adapted to rural life; a strong, determined woman who managed a business and raised three children despite the challenges posed by her first husband, Jack Archer, who struggled with alcoholism; a person holding traditional values yet sometimes choosing to avoid the local church, especially when a woman was leading it; at times, a commanding matriarch; a generous and caring individual; and a doting pet owner to several cats, including the fierce Hilda, whose loud cries can occasionally be heard during broadcasts. Some of Spencer’s most heartfelt moments on The Archers occurred about ten years ago when her character supported her second husband, Jack Woolley, through his battle with Alzheimer’s, echoing the care she once offered her first husband, Roger. Even now, Spencer’s character continues to thrive, outlasting the real-life woman whose voice will forever resonate in the hearts and memories of those who cherish The Archers.