Hunt for new Archers’ Clarrie

However, producers of the Radio 4 rural soap will not be killing off the character and are looking for a fourth actress to take on the part.

Clarrie – the wife of lovable rogue Eddie – was last year at the centre of a major storyline when Clarrie was responsible for an E. coli outbreak at Bridge Farm Dairy.

Rosalind said: “I’m 68 now and have very young grandchildren with whom I want to spend more time. It has been a brilliant job for me and now I’m happy to hand it over to someone else.”

She took over the role from Fiona Mathieson in 1988, who inherited the part from the original Clarrie, Heather Bell.