Even the fictional farmers of radio's The Archers are against Starmer's swingeing tax raid

DISTINGUISHED, cultured, suave and authoritative, actor Charles Collingwood has one of the most recognisable voices on radio after 50 years playing philandering farmer Brian Aldridge in Radio 4's The Archers. But had the actor's tutors at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art had their way, his rich upper-class vocals might have sounded altogether different.
For instead of being praised for his dulcet tones, the aspect of Charles' acting that his teachers found fault with the most was, surprisingly, the way he spoke.
"In shops and supermarkets people very often say, 'You've got such a lovely voice' and it may well have been an asset in my career, though it's no credit to me, it's what I was given," Charles reasons.
"I think it's because my voice is clear. I'm quite critical of people that are grammatically incorrect. I'm not being snobbish, but the voice is such a beautiful instrument, so it slightly grates on me if someone just doesn't care how it sounds.
"But the funny thing about it was that when I was at RADA, the thing I was criticised for all the time was my voice. I was told it was too casual, it was too throwaway, it was too this and too that." He gives a small chuckle. "Anyway, it's served me well and people have been very sweet and said lovely things about my voice.
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I'm 82 this May and I might meet God quite soon, so I will thank him for giving it to me!" The voice of course has helped establish Brian as one of The Archers' most notorious lotharios. This month Charles celebrates an incredible 50 years in the show.
After breezing into Ambridge in 1975 and marrying Jennifer, he cheated on her, first with aristocratic Caroline Bone.
Then came flirtations with cleaner Betty Tucker, pony club instructor Mandy Beesborough and twin-town delegate Marie-Claire Beguet, before infamously a full-blown affair with doctor's wife Siobhan Hathaway, leading to the birth of their love child Ruairi.
"It's always been such fun to play," Charles smiles. "Even now, he's having an affair with Miranda.
Lucy Fleming who plays Miranda is the daughter of Celia Johnson.
"I just love the idea that Brian Aldridge is having a brief encounter with the daughter of the woman who was the star of Brief Encounter. I think it's rather neat." Off-screen the actor has been happily married for 49 years to his former co-star Judy Bennett (who played Shula Hebden-Lloyd).
The couple share a daughter Jane, a voice-over artist, and a nine year-old grandson. According to Charles, playing a cad on screen has had its perks.
"It's allowed me to be serially unfaithful fictitiously, while having a lovely, settled home life with Judy," he chuckles.
JUDY clocked up 50 years in the show herself, but left last year. "We live in Hampshire, six miles from the sea. It's quite a long drive to Birmingham and back," Charles explains. "I'm still very happy to do it but she'd had enough." Set in the fictional farming community of Ambridge, The Archers is the world's longest running soap opera having first been broadcast in 1950.
It has never shied away from political issues affecting rural communities and Brian reveals that the Government's controversial inheritance tax raid on farmers is to be covered in the show too. Since Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced changes to agri-
I cultural inheritance tax relief, farmers have reacted with anger, descending on Downing - Street in their thousands to protest. The Government has insisted the 20% inheritIance tax on farms worth over £1million only affects the wealthiest quarter of landowners.
| But critics claim family-run farms with tight margins will be forced to sell up in order to pay death duties. The Daily Express - has launched a Save Our Family Farms campaign to try to change the Government's mind.
Charles says: "It's important we reflect what is happening and the issues that It's affect people wonderful that we can do that.
"I am very aware of the issue of inheritance tax and the story is being highlighted. I can't give too much away, but along the line we've got to cover that story and I'm sure we'll do it well."
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He sighs. "I have great sympathy, because it seems to me that farmers are asset-rich and cash-poor and so my sympathies tend towards the farming community. My guess is Brian would be horrified by the changes, but I haven't read the scripts yet."
Recording the programme takes place over 10 days a month, which has allowed Charles to work elsewhere throughout his career. In the mid-nineties he was well-known as the regular score-keeper on Noel Edmonds's BBC One quiz show Telly Addicts.
He h...