The Archers spoilers thread #11: Can't wait for 7.02pm? Join us here!

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Spoilers thread for The Archers on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. All Archers listeners are welcome here, whether you post on our main Archers thread or not. There's just one rule: please keep all spoiler-related discussion in this thread and do not spill the beans on the main Archers thread.

We usually add the BBC teasers and cast lists for forthcoming episodes as they become available, plus the Radio Times and Daily Mail previews when possible. Feel free to add anything else you come across, e.g. cast news, scriptwriter tweets!

@Sinittaadancers , That is 'my' George too.

Like this:

Sorry pic added

Not that noodly, and darker.
Alice is blonder than the RT photo but otherwise spot-on.

What was that Blackpool/Traitors SL about? Is there anything going to come out of that, other than ToothyPeg
Now we are going to hear from Finlay, any guesses where that is going?

Has the fragrant (eau de mankwold, what else) Hellin captivated him enough for him to come and stay in Ambridge for a while?

And still they come.

22nd February 2026 - 27th February 2026
22 Feb Chelsea’s getting more hopeful about her business plans, and David is reluctantly learning how to recruit volunteers.
23 Feb Susan and Helen are on a quest to find new staff for the dairy, and Chris and Hannah despair for the future of Ambridge Cricket.
24 Feb Lilian throws a spanner in the works, and there’s a glimmer of hope for David in his quest for volunteers.
25 Feb Chelsea follows Susan’s advice, and Brian is grateful to Rex.
26 Feb Brian tries his hand at matchmaking, and Helen has the time of her life.
27 Feb Helen is in reflective mood, and Chris and Hannah are looking for a challenge.

Writer: Liz John
Director: Kim Greengrass
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
David Archer … Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas
Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter … Charlotte Martin
Rex Fairbrother … Nick Barber
Chelsea Horrobin … Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Akram Malik … Asif Khan
Jazzer McCreary … Ryan Kelly
Kirsty Miller … Annabelle Dowler
Hannah Riley … Helen Longworth
Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd
Finlay … Mark Bonnar

Radio Times 21st to 27th February
We may now know who whacked George, but life continues as normal in Ambridge. Chelsea’s horse box hairdressing salon may fall at the first hurdle, thanks to Lilian, and there’s an unexpected pitch for a job at the dairy. Lynda naturally has advice for David in his new role as chair of the Borchester Show. Helen’s heart is a-flutter when she receives a call from rugged Highland crofter Finlay (Mark Bonnar).

Total TV Guide 21st to 27th February
When it comes to speaking her mind, Chelsea Horrobin is never backwards in coming forwards - so how will she react when Lilian’s actions interfere with the budding entrepreneur’s business plan? And will Susan’s advice go down any better? There’s an unexpected job candidate for the dairy and Helen is also thrown by a call from Finlay (voiced by Mark Bonnar, if you hadn’t already clocked that, Celebrity Traitors fans) from Scotland. Has he been Faithful?
As the new chair of the Borchester Show, David could do with some help, but gets advice from Lynda instead. And while Chris and Hannah fret over Ambridge Cricket’s future, Chris admits he’s withholding a secret about the events of New Year’s Eve…

1st March 2026 - 6th March 2026
Sun 1/3 - There’s tension at Bridge Farm, and Rex and Alice finally make it on a date
Mon 2/3 - George wants to make amends, and Ruairi’s in a state
Tue 3/3 - Brian is economical with the truth, and Helen gets an unexpected offer
Wed 4/3 - There’s an upset at Bridge Farm, and Amber is anxious
Thu 5/3 - It all comes down to heard or heart for Helen, and Amber and George have the first pregnancy scan
Fri 6/3 - Alice gives Ruairi some loving care, and George and Amber hatch a plan

8th March 2026 - 13th March 2026
08.3 Alice and Rex are getting along fine, and the Grundys have a get-together.
09.3 Chris is taken aback, and Kirsty and Kate fail in a resolution.
10.3 George gets a shock, and Josh is very low.
11.3 Brian meddles in his children’s lives, and Ben and Azra have a plan.
12.3 Chris is struggling a bit, and Jakob is bemused.
13.3 Amber soothes George’s fears, and Kate takes Brian to task.

No cast list for either week on the BBC site at the moment.

Helen’s heart is a-flutter when she receives a call from rugged Highland crofter Finlay (Mark Bonnar).
I think my heart is fluttering a little too.
Forgot to say THANKS to @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g for the spoilers.

If Finlay gets himself involved with Helen, he will live to regret it. Or possibly not live.

Maybe he's applied for the job in the dairy.

Update.

1st March 2026 - 6th March 2026
Sun 1/3 - There’s tension at Bridge Farm, and Rex and Alice finally make it on a date
Mon 2/3 - George wants to make amends, and Ruairi’s in a state
Tue 3/3 - Brian is economical with the truth, and Helen gets an unexpected offer
Wed 4/3 - There’s an upset at Bridge Farm, and Amber is anxious
Thu 5/3 - It all comes down to heard or heart for Helen, and Amber and George have the first pregnancy scan
Fri 6/3 - Alice gives Ruairi some loving care, and George and Amber hatch a plan

Writer - Sarah McDonald Hughes

Brian Aldridge - Charles Collingwood
Helen Archer - Louiza Patikas
Pat Archer - Patricia Gallimore
Tony Archer - David Troughton
Tom Archer - William Troughton
Alice Carter - Hollie Chapman
Ruairi Donovan - Arthur Hughes
Miranda Elliott - Lucy Fleming
Rex Fairbrother - Nick Barber
Amber Gordon - Olivia Bernstone
Eddie Grundy - Trevor Harrison
George Grundy - Angus Stobie
Tracy Horrobin - Susie Riddell
Adam Macy - Andrew Wincott
Celia Sparrow - Toni Midlane
Elaine - Dru Stephenson

Radio Times Ambridge Diary 1-6 March
While Helen faces conflict with Tom over the audit for Bridge Farm, she also has to contend with a call from her arch rival, Borsetshire's dairy queen Celia Sparrow. A distracted Ruairi causes Miranda concern, forcing Brian to be economical with the truth. And Alice and Rex finally go on a date alone - but are rudely interrupted.

TV Times for 28 Feb - 6 Mar - Two separate but very similar teasers
There's high drama at Bridge Farm this week, with the audit causing conflict between Helen and Tom. Can Pat smooth things over between them? Meanwhile, Miranda is worried about Ruairi, and Amber is concerned about her upcoming scan. Also this week, Rex and Alice go on a date, but are rudely interrupted - and the cricket team traitors come to a realisation ...

There's conflict between Tom and Helen at Bridge Farm over the audit that the latter has arranged, and when the results come in, one family member is left totally devastated. Also in Ambridge this week:

• Rex and Alice finally make it on a date, only to be rudely interrupted.
• Amber calls for family unity as she can George have their first pregnancy scan.
• Helen is blindsided by a call from rival cheesemaker Celia Sparrow.
• Brian discovers why Ruari is so distracted, but doesn't give Miranda the full story.
• The cricket-team traitors realise they don't want any truck with Darrington after all.

8th March 2026 - 13th March 2026
08.3 Alice and Rex are getting along fine, and the Grundys have a get-together.
09.3 Chris is taken aback, and Kirsty and Kate fail in a resolution.
10.3 George gets a shock, and Josh is very low.
11.3 Brian meddles in his children’s lives, and Ben and Azra have a plan.
12.3 Chris is struggling a bit, and Jakob is bemused.
13.3 Amber soothes George’s fears, and Kate takes Brian to task.

15th March 2026 - 20th March 2026
15.3 Tom and Helen are worried about Tony, and Lynda’s on the warpath.
16.3 Ruairi’s got a lot on his mind, and Esme thinks she might lose the farm.
17.3 Ruairi helps George out, and Anna Tregorran battles with her elderly mother, Carol.
18.3 Brian learns something new, and Lynda helps Azra out.
19.3 Esme gets an important message, and Justin gets unexpected help from Tracy.
20.3 Brian tries to cut a deal, and Alan visits Carol.

Now this is interesting. Have they tempted Eleanor Bron back to play Carol? Will we actually hear Carol and/or Anna, or are we just going to hear about them from others? No way of knowing at the moment, as there is no cast list or writer again on the BBC website. I suspect this is a policy change rather than someone forgetting, as it's the third week in a row now. They do show up eventually on the Radio and TV Times, which I have now found out how to access through my local library (thanks for the tip to whoever mentioned this a while back!).

Thanks Gasp.
Thu 5/3 - It all comes down to heard or heart for Helen head or herd?
I was hoping to see Finlay in the cast list.

Oh goodness - presumably Anna wants Carol to move out of Glebe Cottage and closer to her family? So how will the SWs handle their retconning of the ownership of said residence? Perhaps getting his hands on it now might persuade Josh to stay? Or perhaps he could sell it to fund bigger business plans?

Thanks, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g!

I'm glad they're resurrecting the Original Lesbian (Anna), and Carol. Time to wrap that up rather than have her living forever in the edge of the village like auntie Chris.

10.3 George gets a shock
The scan shows that the unborn baby looks suspiciously like Markie/Gollum/Beelzebub.

Is Amber going to not be having the baby? As much as I don't want a not-viable foetus SL, I'd like Amber to go away for good.
Mr Natasha can stay but in a different role with a non-dodgy accent.

Quadruplets, perhaps?

Perish the thought.
Maybe there are octopedes in there. Arachna, Charlotte, Aragog and Archy.

If Matthew Gravelle is going to stay, I'd like him recast as some random farmhand who turns up from Wales and bears a striking resemblance to Serin and Dippity.

Do you mean Sarin and Novichok? It would be a shame for the Girls to not be Archers. Maybe he could be Henry's father.

No, Sorry (not sorry) but I want the loathsome Tom's world to fall apart.

Is Helen reinventing her history?

Tracy is. She has got to know the curd cutter "over the last few weeks". But she was taught by Susan how to make cheese on 25th February and she started work at the dairy after Helen decided, on 26th February, to take her on, so not before 27th – less than a week ago.

She also hadn't seen "the Ag Advisor woman" around for a few days, when said Ag etc's audit started on the day after Sunday 1st March ie on Monday 2nd, and it is now 5th.

I think maybe the writer of this week's scripts, Sarah McDonald Hughes, didn't know what had been in those of last week's writer, Liz John. She also doesn't seem to know what was in her own on Sunday.

It’s appalling, isn’t? You don’t even have to have been paying any great attention to know Tracy hasn’t been there long enough to talk about ‘the last few weeks’.

No continuity advisor at all?

Depressing. And off-putting.

I didn't actually know, or at least, I didn't quite believe what I thought, but when I checked in the BBC synopses I was quite startled by how utterly wrong that "weeks" was.

Yep

I don’t recall an early interest in cheesemaking, but I recall the failed Ambridge Organics veg shop, the failed cheese making school, wrong cows getting her cheese orders cancelled by Grey Gables…

I’ll skip over her inability to retain a partner.

Helen started to talk about making cheese at Bridge Farm on 24th April, 2001, when she was twenty-two. Up to that point, Bridge Farm did not produce a cheese, so it would have been hard for her to learn how to do so from her mother in the dairy there.

Lowfield: "Helen is pushing her luck with Tony: on top of vegetable boxes," [these were a new idea of hers] "she wants to get into making cheese. No. It would be her project involving no work for Mum and Dad. No. She learnt cheese making at Reaseheath and with Ann Baxter. No. The customers are asking for Bridge Farm cheese. Still no."