The Archers’ first lesbian kiss in history ‘should have happened sooner’

The first lesbian kiss on The Archers “should have happened sooner”, stars of the show have said.

History was made in a recent episode when farm manager Stella Pryor and farmer Pip Archer kissed as part of a storyline on their blossoming same-sex relationship.

The moment was a long time coming, according to Archers stars who have welcomed the recent romantic developments in Borsetshire.

Daisy Badger, who plays Pip, said that the first lesbian relationship in the BBC Radio 4 series’ 70-year history “should have happened sooner”.

She added that the storyline came naturally and has welcomed the development as “obvious and normal”.

In the August 10 episode, Pip treated Stella to a fireside chat over a bottle of rosé, and consoled her over the death of her dog Weaver.

During the exchange Pip kissed Stella, in the first lesbian kiss in the programme’s history, before awkwardly apologising and making a quick exit. She had previously been involved with Toby Fairbrother.

Lucy Speed, who plays Stella, claimed that the storyline is in keeping with the contemporary openness and freedom in sexual matters.

She told Radio Times: “I have an 11-year-old daughter. And what I’ve noticed is that young people are in this lovely space where they’re allowed to choose and be free, and learn about their sexuality.

“That’s something I really embrace. What I’ve enjoyed about this storyline is that it hasn’t been a big coming out.”

While the awkward kiss and subsequent bashful interactions suggest a change in romantic direction for Pip, who had a child, Badger has said that there is nothing conclusive about her character’s sexuality.

She said: “To me, the question of Pip’s sexuality is more a matter of, ‘Well, we’ll figure that bit out later’. That’s really nice. It’s just about the connection between her and Stella.”

The burgeoning storyline is breaking new ground for The Archers, which has increased the representation of same-sex relationships in the past 20 years, but lacked a storyline centred on a lesbian romance.

In 2004, the long-running show aired a gay kiss between Adam Macy, the first central character in The Archers to declare his homosexuality, and Ian Craig.

At that time, as with the most recent romantic developments in Borsetshire, producers were keen not to sensationalise the intimate moment, but to present it as naturally as possible.

The pair got a civil partnership in an episode from 2006, and in 2015 the couple were married, two years after the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act was passed.

It was only in 2016 when listeners were presented with their first lesbian character in the form of criminal barrister Anna, who defended Archers favourite Helen Titchener.

Anna was later revealed to have had a partner called Maxine, with whom she broke up.

The programme has faced criticism in the past for a perceived lack of diversity. In 2012, producers were accused of “racially stereotyping” a character with Jamaican roots, Carl, as a feckless womaniser.

In 2020, it was accused by some commentators of having a predominantly white cast throughout its history

Earlier in 2023, the Scottish character of Jack “Jazzer” McCreary was a source of controversy because of his drink-addled and violent behaviour

Karyn McCluskey, the former director of Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Even in The Archers, the Glaswegian is the hard-drinking guy, so it’s how we’re portrayed and how we have been for decades.”