June Spencer - The Archers

For a long-running soap opera to boast the same actor for over sixty years is a real accomplishment. When the Archers pilot episode was aired on the Home Service in 1950, 'Peggy Perkins' appeared, played by June Spencer. She was paid £12 for her work in the first five episodes. Over the decades the character became Peggy Archer and then Peggy Woolley. June popped out the series, returning as another character, before reverting to dear Peggy in 1971.

                                                                                       The way Linda portrayed her 'husband' Jack's Alzheimer's disease in the series was widely praised. The affliction was close to home: Linda's real partner fell victim to it ten years prior; and the actor who played her husband's part, Arnold Peters died with Alzheimer's in 2010.

June had worked on such programmes as Dick Barton and Children's Hour before she made her Archers debut. She received an OBE in 1991, and a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2014 BBC Audio Drama Awards.