All About The Archers

Philippa, Katie and Quentin are joined by comedian, Archers superfan and host of The Archers Live at 75, Angela Barnes.
Angela tells us what it is really like touring the country in a minibus she has christened the Archers Omnibus, including the Sunday morning when Charles Collingwood asked the driver to put Radio 4 on. She also explains why this is the first job she has ever had without imposter syndrome & the only one where she cried when she got it and who would win The Traitors.
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In this episode
Flower or Produce: does Angela have a favourite cast?
The two "tester" jokes that tell her how the night is going to go
Why she cut most of the tech from the show, and what audiences have made of the QR code
Vanessa's sound effects, the gasps from the audience, and whether seeing behind the scenes spoils the magic
Tour gossip, with Ben Norris firmly under the Archers Omnibus
Angela's "audition" for Jeremy Howe, and the backstory Charlotte Martin has invented for her as a long-lost Horrobin
Her Star and Twit of the Week
The Ambridge neighbours she would choose, and the one who would send her straight to Darrington
Who she would take to the Edinburgh Fringe, and who is the funniest character in Ambridge
How she got hooked on The Archers as a student in the mid 90s
An Ambridge Grand Prix, what colour The Archers is, and who she would want in a Cold War bunker
Who would make the best Traitor in Ambridge
And, most importantly, her biscuit of choice
Coming up
Angela is back with us in two weeks to answer your questions from the Facebook group.
Topics covered: Brian Aldridge, Adam, Xander, Joy Horville, Tracy Horrobin, Jazzer, Helen Archer, Susan Carter, Bert Horrobin, Jakob, Leonard, Ben Archer, Lilian, Lynda Snell, Robert Snell, Sabrina Thwaite, Mandy Beesborough, Amber. The Traitors.
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Philippa and Quentin look back at events in Ambridge from Sunday 4 October to Tuesday 6 October 2026.
Quentin cannot get over a £400 bill for cleaning a cat's teeth, while Philippa points out that someone has to pay for the new anaesthetic monitoring system. Alistair insists there is nothing to worry about at the practice.
Philippa has written in capitals that he should be worried. On the bright side, he may have found his marketing slogan: "We're not AI vet bots." Anna is bereft and full of praise for Alan, and we both have the same note about where that might be heading. Quentin gives full marks to the writing in Alan's conversation with Anna about why people so often slip away when nobody is in the room. Sunday's word was awkward. Harrison and Lily, Fallon and Grant, and a round of spicy margaritas that neither of us has ever tried.
Was Fallon proving a point, or simply allowed a bit of fun? We do not agree. We also disagree about whether Vince was firing a warning shot or handling things beautifully. Then there is Keira's toothache, Clarrie's miraculous 10am emergency dental appointment and Eddie's diagnosis of adolescent molar shift. Quentin thinks it is wrong on at least four levels. Philippa thinks something is going on and wants Eddie to find out what. Amber has a visit from the health visitor and takes the baby to see her mum, and we look ahead to the Grundy cider wetting of the baby's head.
Plus the brilliant baby name suggestions in our Facebook group, a welcome mention of the word biscuit, our Stars and Twits of the Week, and predictions involving a Porsche. This week's episodes were written by Sarah Hehir. Coming up: if all goes well, our interview with Angela Barnes, host of The Archers Live at 75 events, will be out this weekend.
Listen and watch here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/all-about-the-archers/id1706526260
Topics covered: Alistair, Paul, Denise, Shula, Anna, Alan, Carol, Harrison, Lily, Fallon, Grant, Conrad, Vince, Beth, Ben, Keira, Clarrie, Eddie, George, Brad, Amber, Anne-Marie
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Listen and watch on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/all-about-the-archers/id1706526260
Katie and Philippa review events in Ambridge from Sunday 27 to Tuesday 29 September. And we're worried, because Emma has just said life's good. Tornado, flood or loose elephant in the dog field: something is coming.
Philippa has done her research (badly) and brings three baby name suggestions for George and Amber, all better than theirs, obviously. Katie wonders how the name will sound with Grundy on the end, and hopes Joe survives as a middle name.
We also talk about Amber's first days as a mum. We thought the writing was beautifully done, from the pain and exhaustion to that shopping list left on the side, and we're sending her solidarity. Susan steps in brilliantly, and gets a gossip in about Harrison and Lily while she's at it.
Plus: team Martyn or team Brian, Lynda's dog field plans, Martyn telling Ed to "talk to the Archers", where the Grundys are all going to live, and Brian and Adam. Brian is still not reading the room.
Philippa also thanks Julie and Morgan at the BBC office for letting her join their event, where she read the parts of Adam and Lilian, sound effects and all.
We finish with Star of the Week, Twit of the Week and our predictions. Katie's are very wise. Philippa's are not.
We're back next Tuesday. Share your baby name ideas for George and Amber in the Facebook group.
Topics covered: Amber Gordon | George Grundy | Emma Grundy | Ed Grundy | Eddie Grundy | Clarrie Grundy | Will Grundy | Poppy Grundy | Joe Grundy | Susan Carter | Harrison Burns | Lily Pargetter | Brian Aldridge | Adam Macy | Ian Craig | Xander Macy | Lynda Snell | Martyn Gibson | Oliver Sterling | Lilian Bellamy | The Archers September 2026
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Philippa is back with Dr Charlotte Martin, who plays Susan Carter in The Archers, for part two — and the Facebook group have come up with some brilliant questions.
Charlotte answers whether she would actually be friends with Susan in real life (probably not — she'd want to know too much about your personal life), whether Tracy is scared of Susan (she's not, she looks up to her), and whether Susan was secretly right to side with Bert against Chris. She talks about what it was like playing the prison storyline when it first aired, why George working in the shop after coming out of prison was so personal to Susan, and why Clive and Bert will probably continue to haunt her no matter how far she climbs.
Also covered: the much-missed partnership with Clary in the dairy and what Helen did to end it, why so many Ambridge characters are still working past sixty, the long-running question of why Susan and Tracy have such different accents, how scripts get tweaked when a word does not quite feel like Susan, and Emerald Sherwood's remarkable job of studying Charlotte's accent to play Emma.
Plus Charlotte's dream of Susan and Jolene doing Race Across the World together, confirmation that she really does want that radio show back, and one of the best descriptions of Susan ever committed to podcast: a WhatsApp group with a tabard.
Topics covered: Susan Carter | Tracy Fuller | Bert Horrobin | Clive Horrobin | Emma Grundy | George Grundy | Clary | Charlotte Martin | Prison storyline | Race Across the World | The Archers 2026
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Quentin is away this week, so it's just Katie and Philippa reviewing events in Ambridge from Sunday 20 to Tuesday 22 September. And Katie has a lot to say.
We start with the wedding. Pip and Stella were clear about whose names went on the invites, so how have Seren and Nova ended up on the guest list? Katie, veteran of a child-free wedding, is not impressed. We also wonder just how bejewelled the twins' dresses will be.
Then there's Ruth's visit to Anna, and a shepherd's pie we're fairly sure belonged to Leonard. Is Ruth being kind, or does she need to read the room? The Facebook group is split, and so are we. We also give Alan some well-deserved praise for being a real friend to Anna this week.
Plus: Lynda and Robert go house hunting, what Bridge Farm Botanicals will actually have to do with Bridge Farm, Brad's forensic knowledge of the bus timetable and his first driving lesson with Jazzer, George and Eddie in the community (and Grundy) orchard, and whether Amber is really on board with the name Josephine.
We finish with Star of the Week, Twit of the Week and our predictions.
Listening on Apple Podcasts but don't want the video? Tap "Turn video off" under the episode to hear the audio only. Or press the side button to lock your phone, and the audio will keep playing. Listen and watch on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/all-about-the-archers/id1706526260
Coming this weekend: part two of our interview with Charlotte Martin, who plays Susan, answering your questions.
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