The last original cast member of BBC Radio 4 programme The Archers, is retiring at age 103. June Spencer, who has played matriarch Peggy Woolley since 1951, has already recorded her last episodes for the much-loved drama.
The final shows were broadcast on July 31, and she told a national newspaper her exit has been a long time coming. She said: "I’ve been trying to retire for at least a year. They didn’t want to lose her character. Every time I tried to stop they gave me more episodes.”
Peggy was often viewed as a traditionalist in the long-running drama charting the ups and downs of life in fictional Ambridge. Among the character's many fans is the Duchess of Cornwall, who last year invited Spencer and her co-stars to Clarence House for a reception marking the show’s 70th anniversary.
In a statement, Camilla called Peggy “a true national treasure who has been part of my life, and millions of others, for as long as I can remember”. Although the character has not yet been completely written out of the show, Spencer has her own ideas on how best to manage her exit.
She said: “The simplest thing is if (Peggy has) a fall or something and goes into The Laurels (the fictional care home in Ambridge. She can languish for years there.”
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