The Archers

9th – 14th August 2026
Writer: Liz John
Director: Marina Caldarone
Editor: Jeremy Howe
David Archer … Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer … Felicity Finch
Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde
Leonard Berry … Paul Copley
Harrison Burns … James Cartwright
Alan Franks … John Telfer
Amber Gordon … Olivia Bernstone
Keira Grundy … Mollie Kruczek
Chelsea Horrobin … Madeleine Leslay
Alistair Lloyd … Michael Lumsden
Khalil Malik … Krish Bassi
Elizabeth Pargetter … Alison Dowling
Freddie Pargetter … Toby Laurence
Lily Pargetter … Katie Redford
Fallon Rogers … Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd
Robert Snell … Michael Bertenshaw
Anna Tregorran … Isobel Middleton
Carol Tregorran … Mia Soteriou

Harrison pops home for lunch and finds Fallon in the middle of domestic chores. She starts to point out to Harrison his share of the jobs, but before an argument can start Harrison receives an email from a Darrington letting agent with property rental options. They’re all small and expensive. Harrison declares they will just have to be pragmatic as he quotes the advice Alistair gave him.
Freddie calls to question Fallon about her new job. He asks about the recruitment process and Fallon’s experience, making Fallon feel uneasy. Later at Lower Loxley, Fallon asks Elizabeth if Freddie is okay with Fallon working there. Elizabeth promises to have a word with him. Fallon vents to Elizabeth about the difficulties of her separation. Elizabeth catches Freddie in between online training and asks why he’s been quizzing Fallon. Freddie reckons Elizabeth could have employed him instead. He confesses he’s worried that he won’t inherit Lower Loxley until he’s 100 if he can’t prove himself capable.
Anna is at Brookfield, venting about Richard’s memorial service to sympathetic David. She needs somewhere to catch up on her cases but is avoiding the Tearoom after yesterday. David suggests The Orangery to Anna, who’s grateful for his suggestion.
Harrison arrives at Brookfield to give an update on the sheep attack. David can’t quite wrap his head around Monty being responsible. Harrison explains one option is that Monty could go home if David and Ruth are prepared to accept a community resolution order.

Helping out at Glebe cottage, Alan is changing a lightbulb for Carol. She admires his new haircut, stating Chelsea has made him on trend. They talk about Carol’s unpopular scavenger hunt, and when Alan tries to suggest the clues were tricky, he is ignored. Alan says they won’t have reached the bell repair target. Alan asks when Anna will be arriving for Richard’s blessing. Carol says she can’t make it. Alan offers to reschedule but Carol refuses. Carol asks for another favour; she is struggling with her banking app, and as Alan was an accountant could he help? She hands him her phone in order to cancel some donations.
Lily is in the Tearoom looking forward to Natasha’s lemonade. Anna and Lily chat through cake options, but when Anna goes to leave she bumps into Amber, spilling lemonade down her. Anna gives some money to Lily and Amber to buy them an apology cake. Amber and Lily end up chatting about Lily’s trip to Australia. Lily says she would go back in a heartbeat but then she’d want to stay forever. Lily asks about Amber’s pregnancy and the baby.
Alan and Carol are in the garden with Alan leading the memorial for Richard when Anna arrives at Glebe. Anna is shocked that her mum was doing the memorial without her, especially as it was her idea. Alan learns that Carol didn’t tell Anna about the planned memorial. Carol says how helpful Alan’s been, and reveals to horrified Anna that he’s helped with her banking app.

In the village shop, Alistair and Harrison are looking for biscuits to improve their bad days. Alistair tells Harrison he’s sorry to hear of his and Fallon’s separation and offers advice and a chat if Harrison would like one. At the Tearoom, Alistair recounts his and Shula’s separation. He says there is life after divorce and that even he and Shula are friends again.
Lynda and Robert recount yesterday’s events to Lilian who’s shocked. Lynda makes some barbed comments to Robert, saying he did nothing to stop them taking Monty. Robert goes to answer the phone and Lilian asks Lynda to be fair to Robert. They are both missing Monty. Lynda thinks Robert’s didn’t defend Monty, who must be innocent.
Lynda asks Alistair for a character reference as proof the police have made a mistake with Monty. Alistair explains he was there after the sheep attack and had to euthanise some of the injured. Lynda pushes him to vouch for Monty, but Alistair argues that there’s not a single dog he could vouch for as all dogs are capable of attacking livestock. Lynda returns to Ambridge Hall and Robert asks her to sit down. He’s got through to the B&B guests from that day, and the children saw Monty coming in through the back gate with blood on him. They cleaned him to avoid getting him in trouble. Robert believes it might have been Monty behind the attack, and calls Harrison to tell him the news. They ask about what happens next so that they can have Monty back home.

Harrison and Fallon struggle to divide household chores between them as Harrison says it’s not his turn to cook, whilst Fallon insists it’s not her turn to go to the shop. Both argue they’re busy with their new jobs.
Elizabeth is giving Fallon a tour of the gallery at Lower Loxley when Freddie comes to ask if Elizabeth is free. Not realising Elizabeth is in a meeting with Fallon, Freddie says she’s able to have lunch with him. Elizabeth explains that Fallon is the new Programme Manager and she’s busy. When Freddie says he didn’t know about the role, Elizabeth suggests that Freddie must have not been listening. Later in the Orangery, Freddie asks his mum about Fallon’s new role, but Elizabeth leaves him to greet a client.
Lynda and Robert talk about the fete whilst gardening when Harrison arrives asking to have a word. The DNA confirms it was Monty who attacked the Brookfield sheep. Robert and Lynda become defensive, pointing out Monty has never done anything of the sort before. When asked for their whereabouts on the day of the attack, they’re able to recount their own and Monty’s actions. Their B & B guests from that day saw nothing out of place either. Lynda says it must be mistaken identity. Harrison explains Monty will be taken into police kennels today. Robert collects toys and treats whilst Lynda becomes emotional. Harrison suggests they say goodbye, and Robert insists they must stay calm for Monty. Lynda’s quietly distraught.