Name June Spencer Children Unknown | Spouse(s) Roger (widowed) Years active 1950–present Role Actress | |
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Books The Road to Ambridge: My Life, Peggy and The Archers | ||
Occupation Actress, Radio actress | ||
Guildford Greenbelt Group Interview June Spencer, the actress who plays Peggy Woolley in The Archers
June Rosalind Spencer, CBE (born 14 June 1919) is an English actress best known for her role in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers as Peggy Woolley. She was born in Nottingham, England.
Contents
- Guildford Greenbelt Group Interview June Spencer the actress who plays Peggy Woolley in The Archers
- June Spencer Peggy Archer on the origins of The Archers
- The Archers
- Honours
- Filmography
- References
June Spencer (Peggy Archer) on the origins of The Archers
The Archers
After leaving school she joined an amateur dramatic society and gained a London Guildhall School of Music and Drama certificate. She has played the role of Peggy Woolley (née Perkins, formerly Archer) for a period of over 60 years beginning with the pilot episode in 1950 and is the only remaining member of the original cast. In 1953/54, she left the cast to look after her family, and the role of Peggy was taken over by Thelma Rogers. Spencer later returned to the series playing Rita Flynn, a role she had originally played in tandem with that of Peggy. In 1961/62, Rogers left The Archers to return to the stage, and Spencer returned to the role of Peggy.
She was the guest on Desert Island Discs on 28 February 2010. Spencer spoke about the long running Archers storyline on her husband's Alzheimer's disease, and about her real life husband Roger who suffered from the disease. She has also appeared on television on Songs of Praise and in the drama Doctors.
Honours
On 12 July 2012 Spencer was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Nottingham as a Doctor of Letters for her services to broadcasting. She was given a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2014 BBC Audio Drama Awards. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1991 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
