The Archers

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.4 (15)
  • DRAMA
  • UPDATED TWICE WEEKLY

Contemporary drama in a rural setting.

  1. 19 HR AGO

    The Archers

    Jazzer tells Chelsea she’ll be getting more money to help pay for the horsebox she wants to convert into a hairdressing salon. But Chelsea worries whether the owner will accept weekly payments, before proposing the idea to Alice, who says she’ll check with the owner. Rex drops in at the Stables and agrees to meet Alice at The Bull on Thursday for their date, but will look for somewhere to go onto. Rex returns later, helping Chelsea measure up the horsebox before Alice announces the owner has agreed to Chelsea’s payment plan. Delighted Chelsea goes to tell Tracy, while Rex suggests a drive-in movie on Thursday. Alice loves the idea, then potentially agrees to Chelsea leaving the horsebox at the Stables while it gets refurbished. David catches Lynda at the end of a Speedwatch session and swerves committing himself to volunteering on the speedgun until Autumn at the earliest. When Jazzer joins them David asks if they will volunteer to help with the Borchester Show, for which he’s chair of the committee. They both turn him down flat, with Lynda suggesting David work on his recruitment technique or the show is doomed to failure. Lynda elaborates that David should develop his big idea first, target the right people to progress it, then reel them in by outlining the benefits that would result, particularly for them. David is hugely grateful for the advice, but still can’t persuade Lynda to volunteer. She tells him she’s far too busy now – but might perhaps be available in the Autumn…

    13 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    20/02/2026

    It’s early doors at the engagement party when Zach joins Stella, who makes him apologise to Josh for stirring things up over the pre-nup. Josh accepts he went too far having a go at Pip, but says he’s not staying for the party. Pip hopes Rex might meet a prospective girlfriend tonight, but Rex suggests that issue might already be settled, though it’s complicated and could still go badly wrong… Pip thinks Rex should go for it anyway. Pip and Josh then have an awkward exchange about Carol Tregorran’s tenancy at Glebe Cottage, before Josh apologises for taking out his feelings on Pip. He tells her he’s going to look for work on a farm overseas. Pip’s stunned and thinks David and Ruth will be devastated. Josh points out they’ve both worked abroad in the past, hoping they’ll understand. But it’s his life and he feels he’s got nothing to lose. Zach teases unamused Lynda about her Speedwatch activities, before she puts him in his place. Ruth makes a speech welcoming Stella into the family, raising a toast to the happy couple. Later, Pip and Stella tell Zach that Josh is leaving. Stella feels Zach is partly to blame for stirring things up, but unrepentant Zach feels it could be good for Josh, even if he hasn’t completely made up with Pip. Rex and Alice have an awkward dance together, Pip and Stella a better one, agreeing to set a date for their wedding. Inspired by this Rex and Alice clear up their misunderstanding and agree to go on a date.

    13 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    19/02/2026

    Akram’s happy being allocated work in the big polytunnel while Tom and Tony are busy elsewhere. Later though, when Tom calls to check progress, he realises Akram has been digging up the wrong plants. Tony is more forgiving than Tom, suggesting Akram go and fix a leaky tap instead. Tony then has it out with Tom for not taking time to give Akram proper instructions. Despite Tom’s reservations Tony still believes Akram will be an asset to Bridge Farm. Pip and Stella love the decorations they’ve sorted for the party, but the mood in the Events Barn dips when Josh comes to stock the bar and is immediately snippy with Pip. When Stella goes out Josh raises the issue of a pre-nup, accusing Pip of playing Russian roulette with Brookfield’s future. Josh then outlines Pip’s failures in life and love as reasons not to trust her over the issue. Pip accuses Josh of homophobia, but he reckons it’s about her being a complete flake and sewing things up with David and Ruth behind his back. Josh suggests the timing of her marriage plans could hardly be more convenient to coincide with claiming her inheritance, calling Pip a liar before warning Stella to be careful what she’s hooking herself up to. Once he’s gone Stella comforts tearful Pip, quickly realising the pre-nup idea came from Zach, who has previous for stirring things up. Nevertheless, they agree some sort of arrangement would be a good idea. As for doing something about Josh though, they’ll leave that until after the party.

    13 min

  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    18/02/2026

    Ruairi worries to Brian about the effect pig farming might have on his social life. Brian’s more concerned by Ruairi turning down the stockperson training, informing him curtly that he’ll be staying at Berrow until Brian says otherwise. Ruairi knows this is about what he did to George, accepting his punishment. Brian disagrees, it’s not punishment. He’s simply doing what he should have done long ago, instilling a sense of purpose in Ruairi and giving him a dose of reality. Lynda arrives, looking to bring Brian back on board with Speedwatch. Brian’s far from keen, resisting both Lynda and Ruairi’s attempts to persuade him. Ruairi then tells Brian he’ll be doing the stockperson training after all, newly determined to be the best pig farmer he can. After Zach mocks Lynda’s attempts to recruit Stella to the Speedwatch team he tells Stella he’s going for a walk around Ambridge, in an attempt to discover what’s so appealing about it. Zach starts at Hollowtree, engaging disenchanted Josh in a conversation about the travails of farming with all the difficulties and uncertainties attached to it. Zach then tells Josh about the financial security a career in wealth management gives him, before suggesting Pip should make a pre-nuptial arrangement with Stella to protect Brookfield’s interests. When Zach returns to Brookfield he helps Stella in the Events Barn, mentioning the pre-nup arrangement to her as well. He offers to help out at the party on Friday, then casually drops in that Josh won’t be in much of a party mood.

    13 min

  5. 5 DAYS AGO

    17/02/2026

    At Berrow, Hannah concedes Ruairi’s doing better than she expected. She’s still not convinced he’ll stay the course though, but Ruairi’s enthusiasm is very persuasive. Ruairi goes with Neil to the outdoor unit, where Neil invites him to a meeting with a feed representative before suggesting a more challenging task for Ruairi to get involved with. Later, Neil tells Ruairi they’ve been sufficiently impressed to want to continue his training. He’ll have to take an online welfare handling course, but can then start looking at stockperson training to further his career. In their search for the missing watch Rex and Alice split the list of pubs in Felpersham where it could have been handed in. Alice reassures Rex she’ll be fine going into bars on her own, but when they meet up later they’ve both drawn a blank. They go into the last pub together, the Brewhouse, where the manager tells them she’s kept the watch in her safe. Alice can’t believe the owner was so negligent, leaving it in a toilet, but at least Rex’s problems should be over. Rex offers to share any reward, before they discover they’re both going to the Bull’s Pancake Day celebration. At The Bull later Ruairi tells Neil not to book him on stockperson training as he’s not sure how long he’ll be staying at Berrow. Rex arrives, followed by Alice, who suggests going for a drink at the Brewhouse one night. Misunderstanding Alice’s intention Rex suggests Ruairi could come along too, with Paul and some others. Covering, Alice agrees that sounds wonderful.

    13 min

  6. 6 DAYS AGO

    16/02/2026

    Akram is delighted to be gifted a packet of seeds by birthday boy Tony, who explains he’s giving the same to everyone in the village, rather than receiving presents he doesn’t need. Tom hopes it will encourage some guerilla gardening, before sending Akram off to work in the packing shed. Later, Tom finds Akram trialling a new system for packing the veg boxes, but it ends up taking far longer than the usual system. Akram apologises, then admits he’d much prefer doing outdoor work, including all the muckiest jobs. Stella suggests Pip is distracting herself with work to stop thinking about the rift with Josh over the inheritance. Pip admits it’s preying on her mind, before Stella changes subject to Ruairi starting at Berrow, comparing Brian’s rash decision-making to her current boss’s calmer approach. Stella’s looking forward to her brother Zach arriving in the run-up to Friday’s engagement party. Later, Pip is impressed when she finds Zach already installed at the Bungalow, having brought champagne, crisps and other treats, claiming they’re to ease Stella’s burden and celebrate Pip’s birthday. Zach teases Stella with an embarrassing memory, before Tony arrives with his gift of seeds, accepting a glass of champagne in return. When Pip and Rosie go home later, Zach punctures the sense of bonhomie by suggesting Stella might be settling for less than she should in backwater Ambridge, where everyone’s related to each other. Stella gets defensive and Zach backs down, saying he's happy for her, so long as she’s thought through the consequences.

    13 min

  7. 15 FEB

    15/02/2026

    At the Rewilding, Alice is impressed by how the beavers have already reduced the risk of flooding downstream on the Am. Alice takes photographs for Phoebe before circuitously asking Rex if he did anything for Valentine’s Day. Rex, though, is worried about his taxi licence renewal after a drunken fare made a complaint about Rex “stealing” an expensive watch he left in Rex’s cab. Unless Rex can prove the man’s suspicions are groundless, that could be it for him as a cabbie. Alice suggests checking if the watch was handed in at any of the pubs and bars the man drank at before getting in Rex’s cab, offering to split the task if they go on Tuesday. Rex agrees. Alice confides in Ruairi that she’s debating whether or not to ask out someone she fancies, before noting Ruairi is more subdued than usual. Ruairi denies this and heads off to Berrow Farm, where Neil lets Hannah know that Ruairi is starting as a trainee. It’s all very last minute, Martyn having told Neil that Brian wants Ruairi to get more hands-on farming experience. Hannah is unimpressed, what they need is a skilled worker, not a complete novice. Neil agrees, but they’ve got no choice in the matter. Ruairi then listens carefully while Neil and Hannah outline the seriousness of the responsibilities Ruairi will be taking on and the necessity of avoiding contamination. Later, while Neil starts showing Ruairi what to do, Ruairi gets distracted, then slips and falls in the muck. Hannah can’t see him lasting a week.

    13 min

  8. 13 FEB

    13/02/2026

    As oblivious David collects glasses at The Bull, Ruth turns up dressed for a romantic dinner. Her plan has worked, and they settle down for a Valentine’s date. David admits this is better than squeezing in at the bar, but now they’ve got a free evening tomorrow. Ruth jokes they could use that time to work on their wills, as they’ve already told the children the succession plans. David hopes his dad would think they’re passing on Brookfield in good shape. Reminiscing, the couple recall their first Valentine’s Day together almost forty years ago. Alice arrives at The Bull to take Fallon for a night out at a comedy gig as a surprise. In between acts, Fallon asks if Alice is looking for a Valentine, and flustered Alice confesses there is someone who has crossed her mind. Fallon agrees Rex is lovely. She points out if Alice is interested, she’s just going to have to ask him out. Ruairi arrives back from the Suffolk farm visit to Brian, who tells him about George’s visit and his own subsequent confession. Ruairi is stunned – surely Brian didn’t confess without solid evidence? Brian asks if he’d rather he told George that it was Ruairi who attacked him. Ruairi says he’ll tell the truth, but Brian insists he’ll do no such thing. He made a promise to Siobhan to keep him safe. If Ruairi wants to get back into Brian’s good books, then he’s got to work for it.

    13 min
See All (49)

Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Contemporary drama in a rural setting.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    The Archers

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