Patricia Greene has died at the age of 94.
The Archers legend, who was known as Paddy, was the radio soap’s longest serving cast member as well as the longest serving actor in a soap opera in any medium, having first played Jill Archer back in 1957.
In an announcement at the end of Friday’s Today programme, the BBC said, “Patricia Greene, who played Jill Archer in The Archers since 1956, has died.”
In a statement, BBC Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya praised her “outstanding” contribute to the show over 70 years, and described her as a “constant companion” for listeners over the decades.
He told Digital Spy, “It has been a pleasure to hear her ever-evolving portrayal of Jill over the decades. She leaves a wonderful legacy.”
“Ambridge will not be the same without her, and all of us here at BBC Radio 4 send our love and condolences to her family at this difficult time,” Mohit added.
The Archers editor Jeremy Howe hailed Greene as “raucously funny” and noted he always had faith in her performances, saying, “Paddy was utterly singular, a fabulous and raucously funny raconteur, and like the best actors when on mic you were never quite sure how she would play a scene, but you knew she would play it brilliantly.”
“Her portrayal of Jill was formidable, but also wonderfully warm, loving and enormous fun,” he further mentioned. “It was an incredible privilege to work with her, and she will be greatly missed by all of us within the production team, as well as by millions of Archers listeners.”
Patricia first trained at London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, before deciding to pursue acting as a career when a theatre performance moved her father to tears.
She landed the role of Jill in the mid-1950s, and in the ’60s, she had various roles ITV’s Crossroads.
In 1990, she voiced Jill in an episode of One Foot In The Grave, while in March 2000 she played Margaret Richmond in the very first episode of Doctors.
Patricia Greene, who was awarded an MBE in 1997, moved into an assisted living facility in August 2023, where she continued to record The Archers.
