Charles Collingwood Nears Five-Decade Mark in The Archers

Charles Collingwood is set to mark 50 years next March portraying Brian Aldridge, described as The Archers’ “hard-headed farmer and soft-touch dad”. He considers playing Brian a “great privilege,” though his initial involvement in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera seemed unlikely when he first appeared as a “dodgy paint salesman” who arrived in Ambridge. His wife, Judy Bennett, portrayed Shula Hebden Lloyd from 1971 until earlier this year, which meant Collingwood was already acquainted with the programme when he was invited to play Dave Escott in 1974. Collingwood recounted to BBC Radio Solent, “I was very busy in schools and children’s television at the time and so I wasn’t one of these actors who was absolutely desperate for work. Judy was already in the programme so I went up to a party, met Tony Shryane, who was then the producer, and I said how much I loved The Archers.” He further stated that Shryane remarked, “‘you ought to be in it’,” to which Collingwood responded, “‘that’ll do me’.” Shortly thereafter, he took on the role of Dave Escott, a character he noted “who sounded terribly like Brian probably.” Escott engaged in a “mild flirtation” with Peggy, who was then the landlady of Ambridge’s local pub, The Bull, before departing the village within a few months. (June Spencer, the actress who portrayed Peggy, passed away in November at the age of 105.) However, Collingwood recalled that Shryane informed him he would be “‘back on a permanent basis soon’.” Brian Aldridge made his debut in March 1975, married Jennifer in May 1976, and has remained on the programme ever since. Collingwood commented, “[The cast was] still Doris and Dan Archer (played by Gwen Berryman and Edgar Harrison at the time). They were quite scary.” He added, “I think I might have called [Harrison] sir.” “Gwen Berryman was a large figure in every way,” he stated. He recalled that just before entering the studio for his inaugural scene as Brian, Berryman instructed him: “Charles, come here. I need to have a word with you. It looks like you’re going to be in this programme for some time so there are two things you need to know. One, there are no stars in this programme. The Archers is the star.” Observing her name embroidered on the chair she occupied, he mentioned he “let that one go,” and responded, “I said ‘yes Ms Berryman’.” Collingwood further stated that she continued, “And the other thing is, you’re going to be asked to open fetes. Always charge the maximum.” When asked if he charges the maximum, he replied, “Too right!” Collingwood, a resident near Horndean in Hampshire, noted that The Archers’ writers skillfully integrate “fairly comfortable” storylines with those that carry significant weight. He elaborated, “They have these big stories. The Rob and Helen story was amazing and did a lot of good. My biggest story – because Brian has always been a womaniser – was my affair with Siobhan and that in many ways altered my profile.” Collingwood also made appearances on panel programmes such as Call My Bluff and was presented with his own red book by Michael Aspel on This is Your Life in 2003. He contrasted this with television, stating, “Television is very unforgiving. Television wants it to change every night and be different. So, if you have an affair on a television soap, the chances are you’re in love one week, by week six, you’re rowing and it’s practically over.” He continued, “When Brian fell in love with Siobhan it lasted the best part of two years and he had an illegitimate child [Ruairi] and was still running the farm and still married to Jennifer so it had a reality to it.” Collingwood explained that because the cast is not required to memorize scripts, scenes can extend for several minutes. He recounted, “When it was discovered Brian had been having an affair with Siobhan and had a little love child it was Debbie, played by Tamsin Greig, who discovered it.” He added, “I had a scene with Debbie that I think lasted the whole episode. You can’t get an actor to learn 15 minutes’ of dialogue six times a week, so we’re very fortunate.” Now 81 years old, Collingwood attributes his enduring career, much like his character Brian, to “clean living and gin.” Next year, he is scheduled to visit Eastleigh in January and the Isle of Wight in February to discuss his experiences portraying Brian. He mentioned that both engagements are intentionally scheduled for the afternoon. He explained his reasoning: “I’m a realist. The chances are that there are going to be a few who are going to take a bit of time getting out of the car. They’re not going to want to pile out at 19:30 on a Sunday, are they?” He added, “If they can have a nice lunch and settle down, I’ll lull them to sleep for a couple of hours.” Information regarding BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight is available on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. 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