Loyal listeners of The Archers were left in shock after last night’s (Sunday 22nd January) instalment.
In an unexpected development, beloved Jennifer Aldridge (played by Angela Piper) was declared dead “off screen”.
Her husband Brian (Charles Collingwood) was the first to get the news while in discussion with Justin (Simon Williams) about Home Farm.
Slightly later on, Jenny’s child Adam (Andrew Wincott) took a call from Brian. He told his family: “It’s mum – she’s collapsed and they’re rushing her to hospital now.”
At the hospital, Lilian (Sunny Ormonde) was on hand to relay what happened while she was with Jenny, explaining she couldn’t breathe.
But no sooner had she explained what happened, Brian emerged and revealed the devastating news: “They did everything they could. It was her heart. It wasn’t strong enough.
“I’m so sorry. Your mother, my Jenny… she’s gone.”
Listeners were naturally devastated by the development and flocked to Twitter to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “Poor Jenny Darhling! Didn’t see that coming! RIP to a great character. What she put up with from Brian… Part of my life for 30 years…”
Another said: “I’m going to miss Jenny, I’m sorry she never got to live in Home Farm again. Hopefully there’s an Albion Kitchen waiting for her in heaven. Thank you Angela Piper for breathing life into some of the greatest storylines in The Archers over many years.”
I’m so sad about Jennydarling. What a great actor and a phenomenal character. Ostensibly a silly snobby woman but especially the Ruairi storyline was beautiful and full of nuance. #TheArchers @BBCTheArchers
— Pyjama Llama (@ShazLlama) January 22, 2023
A third commented: “I’m so sad about Jennydarling. What a great actor and a phenomenal character. Ostensibly a silly snobby woman but especially the Ruairi storyline was beautiful and full of nuance.”
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Jennifer (also known as Jenny), was a favourite on The Archers, and in fact, the character had been a regular of the radio series since New Year’s Day in 1951.
The character was played by a variety of voice actors until Angela Piper took on the role in 1963 and remained on the series until 2023.
She was the second longest-running cast member, coming in behind the legendary Patricia Greene as Jill Archer.
Jenny was the daughter of Jack Archer and Peggy Woolley and is the mother of Adam Macy, Debbie Aldridge, Kate Aldridge and Alice Carter.
She was the long-suffering wife of Brian Aldridge, played by Charles Collingwood.
Jenny was a part of some of the audio soap’s most shocking and powerful storylines, including her illegitimate child plight which played out in the 1960s.
The Aldridges lived at Home Farm up until 2018 when they were forced to sell up. They went on to live at Willow Cottage which brought about a whole series of new storylines when they had run-ins with the neighbours.
The Archers airs Sunday-Friday at 7pm on BBC Radio 4. Visit our dedicated Soaps hub for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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