Charles Collingwood - Playing Brian Aldridge

Having inhabited the role of Brian Aldridge in The Archers since 1975, Charles Collingwood knows that things have to go wrong for his character in order to remain a resident of Ambridge.

“He certainly has endured quite a lot", says Charles of his character's time in The Archers, “Not only through hardships that have been thrust on him but also a number of his hardships have been self-inflicted for which he’s yet to apologise but he’s that sort of man.”

Charles is hugely grateful for all of the dramatic storylines he’s been a part of as Brian but when asked what Brian should do next, Charles’ answer is simple. “Live! I’d like him to live”, he says.

When he first read the episode in which Brian has an angina attack, Charles says it was a “terrible shock”. “I thought this can’t be. I’m whipping the pages over to see and then it’s the end! So I grab the next script and I’m very happy to see he’s sitting up feeling perfectly well… Phew.”

Dramatic scenes are often the easiest to play says Charles. “You can get your teeth into them and you’re very interested in them”, he says. For him, the hardest scenes are those set in a field of not quite ripe oilseed rape wondering whether it will rain!

If Brian’s future was up to Charles he’d like to see him in good health and with a few issues resolved before Brian could truly relax into the role of an elder statesman of Ambridge.

According to Charles, he would like Brian to eventually return to the Home Farm house to see out his years in the house he created and loved and brought up his family in.

Meanwhile, Charles sees Brian’s tricky relationship with his daughter Kate mellowing as he gets older and they both become a little bit more understanding.

“There should be some conflict with Ruairi and the rest of the family over who has the farm”, he says, “I think in real life, a man like Brian would leave it all to Ruairi.” The other children would receive legacies but if Ruairi “shows an interest in farming and is a chip off the old block, a bit like his dad, I think that’s the way it could go. But who knows, it’s not up to me!”