103-year-old actress June Spencer is retiring. Brits have been listening to Peggy Woolley in BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers for 70 years, but now she thinks enough is enough, she tells The Guardian.
Spencer compares himself to an old branch in the newspaper. “I planted an acorn in 1950. It took root and in January 1951 it was planted and renamed The Archers,” says Spencer. “Over the years it has grown into a beautiful big tree with many branches. But this old branch, now called Peggy, has become weak and unsafe, so I decided it was high time. So I pruned her right back.”
When Camilla, the wife of Britain’s Prince Charles, mentioned that she was a huge fan of the radio soap, it became clear that Spencer was enjoying great popularity in the United Kingdom. When the soap was in its sixties, the Duchess of Cornwall guest-starred on the radio drama and called Spencer’s character Peggy “a real treasure”. Throughout his career, Spencer has received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2014.
