The Archers

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.2 (27)
  • DRAMA
  • UPDATED DAILY

Contemporary drama in a rural setting.

  1. 2 HR AGO

    27/02/2026

    Writer: Liz John Director: Kim Greengrass Editor: Jeremy Howe Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood David Archer … Timothy Bentinck Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding Susan Carter … Charlotte Martin Rex Fairbrother … Nick Barber Chelsea Horrobin … Madeleine Leslay Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell Akram Malik … Asif Khan Jazzer McCreary … Ryan Kelly Kirsty Miller … Annabelle Dowler Hannah Riley … Helen Longworth Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd Finlay … Mark Bonnar

    13 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    26/02/2026

    Helen tells Kirsty they’ll be taking Tracy on at the Dairy despite Susan not being keen on working with her sister. Helen admits she’s thinking of taking Dane to meet Finlay later, if she meets him at all. Then Finlay calls and Helen agrees straight off to meet him at the pub where he’s staying, before telling Kirsty her brain went to mush. This is so not her! Later at the pub, Helen waits with Kirsty for Finlay. When he arrives Kirsty quickly disappears, with Helen only belatedly realising she’s gone. By the end of the evening Helen and Finlay finally admit their feelings for each other, before heading to his room together. Brian joins Rex at The Bull to discuss the rewilding walk, with Alice having told Rex she’s delayed. Brian then calls Alice, asking her to come and meet him. When Alice arrives Brian sends her to join Rex and Alice quickly susses that Brian is match-making. She asks him to never do it again as it’s embarrassing. Kirsty then turns up and sits with Rex, oblivious to Rex and Alice’s intended date. She tells them she’s just been a very reluctant gooseberry and needs some company. When Rex mentions the drive-in movie Kirsty is interested and Alice plays a trick on Rex, encouraging Kirsty to go with them, before admitting to Rex with glee that it’s payback for last week’s botched invitation to the Brewhouse. After the film Alice tells Rex about Brian’s match-making. Before an oblivious Kirsty joins them in Rex’s taxi, Rex and Alice admit that there is something between them.

    13 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    25/02/2026

    Rex gives Brian a lift back to his car after it ran out of petrol, and stays with him to check Brian’s ok restarting it. Later, at the Rewilding, Brian’s impressed by the variety of wildflowers on one of the trails. He quizzes Rex about his life pre-Ambridge and why he went into farming, before suggesting they meet at The Bull tomorrow, when Rex can talk to Miranda about taking her walking group on a Rewilding trail. At the Dairy Susan is demonstrating the cheesemaking process to Tracy when Chelsea taps at the window. Tracy tells her she hasn’t had time to talk to Lilian yet, then on their break Chelsea fills Susan in on her dilemma – she’s got nowhere to put the horsebox if it can’t stay at the Stables! Chelsea implores Susan to let Tracy sort things out with Lilian, but Susan reckons Chelsea needs to do it herself if she’s a proper businesswoman. Tracy agrees, leaving Chelsea to it. Later, Tracy begs Susan to take her on at the Dairy for Chelsea’s sake, but also because she’s a good worker. At the Dower House Chelsea does her best to sway Lilian, who appears unmoved. Chelsea then walks to The Bull with Lilian, outlining her business plan in detail. Lilian’s impressed but still says no to keeping the horsebox at the Stables. However, Chelsea could keep it at the Dower House instead – there’s a spot in the corner behind the shrubbery. Stunned Chelsea tells Lilian she loves her, and Tracy exclaims to Lilian that she’s just made her the happiest mum in the world!

    13 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    24/02/2026

    David approaches Lilian about the Stables participating in the Borchester Show, but then has to go and deal with a calving. Later though he bumps into Lilian again at the Shop and expounds on his idea for some kind of equestrian competition at the Show, to be run by the Stables. Susan suggests a farrier competition would be good too. David leaps on this, encouraging Lilian to get the Stables fully involved, before Lilian discerns Lynda’s influence at work. Lilian and Susan then outline the Snell modus operandi, before Lilian declines the offer. Susan then spills the beans about Chelsea working on the horsebox at the Stables and Lilian thinks she needs a word with Alice… Susan recounts to Chelsea, Jazzer and Tracy what happened at the Dairy yesterday with Kirsty. She wonders if Brad or Chelsea might be interested in helping, but it’s a “no” on both counts. Chelsea, Jazzer and Tracy then tell Susan about the mobile salon idea and how brilliant it’s going to be, before they go and start work on making the horsebox fit for purpose. Chelsea can’t help worrying how she’s going to pay for people like the electrician they’ll need, but Tracy has an idea and offers her services to Susan at the Dairy. Grateful Susan says she’ll suggest it to Helen. However, when Lilian catches Jazzer and Chelsea indulging in some childish horseplay she demands they remove the horsebox from the Stables immediately. Chelsea despairs, how did everything go this wrong this fast?

    13 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    23/02/2026

    Chris and Hannah are on their way to a cricket team meeting Freddie’s called. There’s still bad feeling over last season’s controversial hidden payments to some players, even before Hannah and Chris discover Freddie’s forgotten this meeting and gone to another one instead. Assuming that’s the end for the cricket team Hannah then lays into Freddie’s poor judgement for suggesting George could rejoin the team. Hannah has no time for George and wants to tell Amber how misguided she is for sticking with him. Chris is more forgiving, but admits phoning Probation about George getting drunk on New Year’s Eve. Luckily George wasn’t recalled to prison and Hannah reckons Chris shouldn’t tell Emma what he did, rather than stir things up again. Akram tells Susan he’s happier working outside than in the Dairy, which is disappointing for Susan as working on a big, new cheese order is getting too much for Pat. Then Helen tells Susan Kirsty’s volunteered to do some shifts, starting immediately. Susan’s doubts about Kirsty are quickly confirmed though when she keeps getting things wrong. Kirsty then phones Akram to check on the procedure and is told off for bringing a phone in. Kirsty admits she’s worse than useless, saying the same again to Helen later. Kirsty then asks if Helen’s pursued a house for sale in the village, but Helen’s distracted by a text from Finlay, the crofter she met in Scotland. He’s coming to Borchester and wants to meet up. Helen knows she should say no, but… It's a yes then, reckons Kirsty.

    13 min

  6. 5 DAYS 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

  7. 20 FEB

    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

  8. 19 FEB

    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
See All (54)

Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Contemporary drama in a rural setting.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    The Archers

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