Last updated June 2005
Category: The Archers
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June Spencer plays Peggy Woolley in BBC Radio 4's The Archers.
June is the only other current cast member, along with Norman Painting, to have been in the pilot episode in 1950 and the first national episode broadcast on 1 January 1951.
Born in Nottingham, June was an only child whose parents were interested in the theatre and enjoyed making and listening to music.
At the age of three June was taken to see Jean Forbes-Robertson in Peter Pan, and it made a great impression on her.
Her stage debut came at the same age when she was co-opted into the open day at a local drama school because they needed a small blonde child to play the King of the Land of Nod.
June, a precocious three year old, wasn't given any lines so added a few of her own - to the delight of the audience and the consternation of the leading lady!
By the age of 12, June was writing plays and producing them in her back garden before a paying audience - all in aid of Dr Barnardo's.
June was now studying music, dancing and drama and knew she wanted to be somewhere in the world of entertainment.
Her parents initially hoped she would be content with amateur status but, while working for her LGSM diploma, June began to write and perform comedy sketches as an after-dinner entertainer and so, in that way, became a professional.
Her father greatly encouraged her when she landed her first job in weekly rep, and her mother became her "sternest critic".
In 1950 June had been a busy radio actress for seven years, when one day whilst queuing in the BBC Birmingham canteen, a voice said: "You're going to be in The Archers, aren't you?"
June's response was: "Am I? What are The Archers?"
She admits she was rather put out at being told by a stranger that she had apparently been cast - before she had been asked if she would like the part!
After the original broadcast back in 1950, June has never been tempted to confuse her real self with her fictitious character, but concedes that after such a time there must be something of her in Peggy.
Both enjoy gardening, and a love of cats, but June sees Peggy as someone sadly lacking in a sense of humour.
When funny things happen to her she never seems to see the joke, whereas June says she tends to see the funny side of things, however inappropriate. And in today's society, June finds Peggy rather narrow-minded.
Looking back at more than half a century of the programme, June thinks the original appeal of The Archers was the idealistic picture it painted of country life - the changing seasons and the wildlife, as well as the day to day working of Brookfield and its family of Archers.
Changing times have impinged on that chocolate-box picture and in June's home village, like Ambridge, the village school has closed and two armed robberies (one more than in Ambridge) have forced the post office to be moved.
Away from Ambridge, June's gardening has won her awards at village horticultural shows for her roses, and she enjoys the peace and quiet of her second home in Menorca, photographing the scenery and the feral cats.
She has two children, who she adopted with her late husband Roger.
June's work has covered every kind of radio drama, including Children's Hour, Dick Barton and Mrs Dale's Diary.
She has always enjoyed playing real life characters such as the contrasting roles of Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Jane Grey and Florence Nightingale.
She was also interviewed in her Menorca home by the late Sir Harry Secombe for BBC One's Songs of Praise. June describes that as one of the happiest highlights of her work with the BBC, which spans more than 60 years.
In 1991 she was made an OBE.
