June Rosalind Spencer CBE (born 14 June 1919) is an English actor best
known for her role as Peggy Woolley in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The
Archers. Spencer played the character from 1950 to 1953, and returned
to it from 1962 to the present day. Her total of 61 years in the role
by 2020 make her the third-longest-serving actor in a soap opera
worldwide in any medium, surpassed only by her fellow stars of The
Archers: Lesley Saweard as Christine Barford (67 years) and Patricia
Greene as Jill Archer) (63 years).Born in Nottingham, Spencer left
Nottingham Girls' High School to join 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 61 years, beginning with the pilot episode in 1950, and is the
sole survivor from the original cast. In 1953/1954, 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 to play Rita
Flynn, a role she had originally performed in tandem with that of
Peggy. In 1961/1962, Rogers left The Archers to return to the stage,
and Spencer returned to the role of Peggy.Spencer was the guest on
Desert Island Discs on 28 February 2010. Spencer spoke of the
long-running Archers story line, of her husband's Alzheimer's disease,
and of her real-life husband of 59 years, Roger Brocksom, who died
from the disease in 2001. She has also appeared on television on Songs
of Praise and in the drama Doctors.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.
known for her role as Peggy Woolley in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The
Archers. Spencer played the character from 1950 to 1953, and returned
to it from 1962 to the present day. Her total of 61 years in the role
by 2020 make her the third-longest-serving actor in a soap opera
worldwide in any medium, surpassed only by her fellow stars of The
Archers: Lesley Saweard as Christine Barford (67 years) and Patricia
Greene as Jill Archer) (63 years).Born in Nottingham, Spencer left
Nottingham Girls' High School to join 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 61 years, beginning with the pilot episode in 1950, and is the
sole survivor from the original cast. In 1953/1954, 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 to play Rita
Flynn, a role she had originally performed in tandem with that of
Peggy. In 1961/1962, Rogers left The Archers to return to the stage,
and Spencer returned to the role of Peggy.Spencer was the guest on
Desert Island Discs on 28 February 2010. Spencer spoke of the
long-running Archers story line, of her husband's Alzheimer's disease,
and of her real-life husband of 59 years, Roger Brocksom, who died
from the disease in 2001. She has also appeared on television on Songs
of Praise and in the drama Doctors.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.
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