Older listeners of The Archers switch off after radio soap goes 'woke'
It's famously billed as 'an everyday story of country folk', raising smiles among its millions of radio listeners each week.But after 75 years on air, fans of the BBC's long-running Radio 4 soap The Archers have accused bosses of forcing them to switch off because it is now 'too woke'.Previously loyal listeners have told the corporation that they have had to silence the radio soap, which one described as 'sickening woke nonsense', after chiefs decided to make it appeal to a younger audience. Last week BBC chiefs shared their joy at The Archers becoming the second most popular 'in demand' show across their radio stations for under-35s.But this has prompted fury among some working on the show who believe bosses are being disloyal to long-standing fans by pursuing younger listeners.One source said: 'Those at the top are chasing sensational woke plots in a bid to bring in a younger audience but it's alienating their loyal, more mature listeners. Fans of the BBC's long-running Radio 4 soap The Archers have accused bosses of forcing them to switch off because it is now 'too woke'. Pictured: Actors Felicity Finch and Timothy Bentinck, who play Ruth and David Archer in the radio programme Daisy Badger (pictured), 32, plays Pip Archer in the long-running radio show'Bosses know the situation because they're obsessed with the critics' reviews and the fans' reactions. 'They are constantly looking at the comments and feeding back, and it's not good. 'They will never pull The Archers – but if something doesn't change soon, The Archers might not exist as we know it.'Set in the fictional English village of Ambridge, The Archers follows the rural lives of residents, in particular the Archer family who live at Brookfield Farm.In January it celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special episode where the current cast re-enacted the opening scene from the first episode, broadcast in 1951, stepping into the shoes of their original counterparts.They also brought in Outnumbered actress Claire Skinner to star as police detective Sally Griffiths. In June, a theatre version of the show will tour the UK.But this hasn't stopped listeners complaining in their thousands, both in an online fan group and on X, formerly known as Twitter.One listener wrote: 'Wokerati scripts, the constant psychobabble of sharing our feelings, the appalling wax crayon storylines, even some of the actors need to go back to drama school. 'I genuinely wonder how much more of this drivel I can cope with.'Another said: 'Even The Archers has been ruined by woke scriptwriting, it has become sickening woke nonsense.'A former loyalist, who had tuned in since they were 12, said they had given up listening, adding: 'I gave up on The Archers after the woke element arrived, sadly.'
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Older listeners of The Archers switch off as drive to court under-35s turns radio soap 'too woke'
