List of The Archers Characters - The Aldridge Family

The Aldridge Family

Brian Aldridge (Charles Collingwood), considered by some to be the villain of the serial, is sometimes seen as one of the most interesting and subtle characters in the programme. Married to Jack and Peggy Archer's daughter Jennifer, he is primarily a farmer, but has interests in a number of businesses, including a former partnership in Tom Archer's sausage business. Brian has had several extramarital affairs during his marriage to Jennifer, including at least one with (the then) Caroline Bone (1985) and more recently with the Irish-born translator Siobhan Hathaway, which produced his only son, Rúairi. He has an uncomfortable relationship with his gay stepson, Adam, which has been the source of some friction with his wife.

Jennifer Aldridge, née Archer (Angela Piper) is the elder daughter of Peggy Woolley by her first husband, also confusingly named Jack. In early years her character was the hippy of the Archer family, her first child, Adam, being — sensationally at the time — the illegitimate result of a fling with a cowman, Paddy Redmond. She married a travelling businessman, Roger Travers-Macy, in the late 1960s and had a daughter, Debbie. She then divorced and married Brian Aldridge. With Brian she had two daughters, Kate and Alice. Jennifer has endured Brian's series of affairs over the years, partly by having one affair with her ex-husband, though Brian has long suspected John Tregorran as having rivalled him for Jennifer's affections at one time. Jennifer's current main source of worry is the behaviour of her gin-soaked, chain-smoking sister Lillian, who has moved back into the village. This concern has been shared with her brother Tony, whom Jennifer is usually keen to put down.

Adam Macy (Andrew Wincott) is the first child of Jennifer Aldridge, his presumed father being former Brookfield farmhand Paddy Redmond. Adam was adopted by Roger Travers-Macy, Jennifer's first husband. Adam lived abroad for many years, mainly in Kenya, helping breed goats, but came back to the family farm when a major relationship broke up. After a year or so, he fell in love with Ian Craig, the chef at Grey Gables. Ian and Adam's liaison has elicited little moral outrage or criticism in the village, with the exception of Sid Perks, the late landlord of the pub, and Adam's grandmother Peggy Woolley, who was distinctly uncomfortable with the relationship. Adam and Ian considered embarking on parenthood; Ian had plans to artificially inseminate his old friend, Madds, and share responsibility for the child they hoped to produce, but Madds then fell in love with another man and changed her mind. The producers of The Archers maintain this was a very popular plot nationwide, although posts on the BBC's Archers message boards were mainly negative. Ian proposed to Adam and the pair entered a civil partnership on 14 December 2006. In mid-2012, Adam suffered a blow to the head while attempting to stop a robbery, but has since recovered.

Debbie Aldridge, formerly Gerrard, née Travers-Macy (Tamsin Greig) is the daughter of Jennifer and Roger Travers-Macy, but chooses to use the surname of her stepfather Brian. After a spell at the University of Exeter she returned home to get away from a relationship with Canadian lecturer Simon Gerrard (Garrick Hagon); years later Debbie got involved with Simon again and in spite of Brian's forebodings they were married. However, Debbie subsequently discovered that Simon was being unfaithful, and they divorced. When Adam returned from Africa, a bout of sibling rivalry erupted: to a certain extent, this remains ongoing, although there are indications that Adam and Debbie are reaching an understanding. Debbie is currently based in Hungary, where she runs the estate owned by a consortium to which Brian belongs (this gives the actress, Tamsin Greig, who has moved on to other projects, the ability to appear in the show from time to time). She occasionally visits home; and the installation of a new webcam also allows Debbie to talk and appear to everyone via computer. Debbie returned to Ambridge again in 2011 with a proposal, now being implemented, to build and run a super intensive dairy farm.

Kate Madikane, née Aldridge (Kellie Bright, formerly played by Susie Riddell), is the eldest daughter of Brian and Jennifer. Kate inherited her mother's hippy tendency, giving birth to a daughter, Phoebe, at the Glastonbury Festival, by Roy Tucker, (with whom Phoebe lives in Ambridge), before disappearing to Johannesburg, South Africa where she has married Lucas Madikane (Connie M'Gadzah) and has another daughter, Noluthando ("Nolly") and, born July 2007, a son, Sipho (Xhosa for 'gift').

N.B. Previous voice actor Susie Riddell returned to the show in 2011, this time playing Tracey Horrobin.

Alice Carter, née Aldridge (born 29 September 1988) (Hollie Chapman), the youngest daughter of Brian and Jennifer, studied engineering at Southampton University. Her best friend is the vicar's daughter, Amy Franks. She likes horses and has a horse, Spearmint. She is friends with both Adam and Debbie. In considering joining the RAF, who ultimately rejected her application, she came into conflict with Amy's pacifist views. In 2010 she married Chris Carter (below), the farrier son of Neil and Susan. She recently graduated from Felpersham University with a Masters degree and works as an aeronautical engineer.

Phoebe Aldridge was born 28 June 1998 and lives with her father Roy Tucker and his wife Hayley.

Rúairi Donovan is the son of Brian Aldridge and Siobhan Hathaway. His persistent Irish accent, despite being born and spent his earliest years in Germany, and having now spent many years in England after only the briefest of stays with his Irish grand, has been criticised in the BBC's Feedback programme as implausible, since young children rapidly adapt their accent to their surroundings.