Woman's Hour celebrates the women of The Archers

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture

4.1 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It's 75 years to the day since The Archers first launched. Woman's Hour has come to Ambridge to celebrate the female characters who have helped this programme tackle some of the most challenging, contentious and sensitive issues affecting women.

Nuala McGovern is joined in The Archers studio at BBC Birmingham by writer Sarah Hehir, Dr Cara Courage from Academic Archers, who studies the social history behind the programme, Sunny Ormonde, who plays Lilian Bellamy, and we also hear from Emerald O'Hanrahan, who plays Emma Grundy. Times columnist and long time fan of The Archers Libby Purves shares a condensed history of the women of Ambridge. Nuala also gets a behind the scenes tour from Felicity Finch, who plays Ruth Archer, and Technical Producer Vanessa Nuttall.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Simon Richardson

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:07.5	It's like going into an ice path with your hands as the ice.
0:10.8	In 2025, we were here for the entertainment.
0:13.8	Ellis and John.
0:14.9	Have you not considered just coffee, which is what I do?
0:17.6	Sightracked with Annie and Nick.
0:19.4	Stevie Wonder, welcome. I'm pleasure. Loyal Carnar is with us. We want to hearract with Annie and Nick. Stevie Wonder, welcome.
0:21.4	My pleasure.
0:22.2	Loyal Carnar is with us.
0:23.3	Want to hear all about Glastonbury.
0:24.5	And Celebrity Traitors Uncloaked.
0:27.1	Welcome to Uncloaked, Ireland.
0:28.8	Oh, thanks for having me, Ed.
0:30.5	The winner.
0:31.2	I know still hasn't sunk in.
0:32.8	Get the best of 2025 with podcasts on BBC Sounds.
0:40.9	Good morning and happy new year.
0:45.0	Welcome to a special New Year's Day edition of Woman's Hour,
0:49.4	marking 75 years to the day since the Archers,
0:53.2	the world's longest running continuing drama was launched.
0:55.7	Yes, Woman's Hour has come to Ambridge,
1:02.1	the village where the Archers is set, or at least as close as anyone can get to it in real life. We are here in the Archer studio at BBC's Birmingham offices in the mailbox. Over the next hour,
	...

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