WCOW #TheArchers

Seeking an explanation for Brian’s continuing WCOW wins, I decided to consult his astrological chart.

For those born on November 20th the astrology analysis predicts that underneath that quiet exterior can be a hot-headed (Adam take note!) and impulsive individual (caravans). You tend to take pleasure in living a comfortable life (Malt Whisky and fine wine). It also affords you the option to be of help to others (lucky George!). There is one setback to this, and that is you tend to be clingy (poor Miranda) Yes…there are times when you are to the breaking point of being intrusive, jealous, and obsessive. (watch out Oliver).

The plot drones on and the future of Home Farm remains uncertain. Congratulations Brian your 8th Worst Character Of the Week win in 2026.

★★☆☆☆ — "More Chai Than Chi"

Bert Horrobin's Tai Chi with Chai Tea arrives as perhaps the least likely wellness publication since Keith Richards' Guide to Clean Living. Bert, Ambridge's answer to a man who has spent decades treating his body as a compost heap, invites us to join him in the ancient art of Tai Chi — pausing every third page, one suspects, to light a cigarette off the previous one.
The photographs are ambitious, if occasionally alarming; the "White Crane Spreads Its Wings" pose appears to have been captured mid-stumble, and the "Parting the Wild Horse's Mane" chapter is inexplicably accompanied by a recipe for a full fry-up.
The chai tea element is a masterstroke of false advertising, given that Bert's preferred beverage throughout is something considerably stronger and served at The Bull. To his credit, the chapter on breathing exercises is genuinely moving — largely because the reader spends it quietly worrying about him. A book that somehow manages to be both an affront to holistic health and a quietly heroic act of optimism. Bert Horrobin: not in great shape, but giving it a bloody good go.

To-Fu Fighter 2026
Comedy / Martial Arts ★★★☆☆
Ambridge's most unlikely warrior arrives on the big screen as Bert Horobin is coaxed into his very first Armchair Tai Chi class. The Tai Chi sequences are a slow-motion symphony of arthritic grace, filmed with the reverence usually reserved for Kurosawa battle scenes, and the instructor's soothing cry of "and… breathe…" serves as the film's unlikely emotional heartbeat.
The dramatic climax arrives when Tracy introduces Bert to stir-fried tofu. His expression upon first contact is the finest piece of acting committed to film this decade — but it is what follows that elevates To-Fu Fighter to genuine classic status. From his jacket pocket, Bert produces a bottle of HP Brown Sauce and proceeds to consume the tofu with quiet, dignified defiance. He still does not like it, and it becomes a scene of profound cultural commentary: the immovable force of British stoicism meeting the unstoppable object of modern wellness culture. Three stars. Bring a condiment. #TheArcher @thearchers@a.gup.pe

3rd-8th May 2026
Writer: Sarah McDonald Hughes
Director: Marina Caldarone
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
Ben Archer … Ben Norris
Ruth Archer … Felicity Finch
Natasha Archer … Mali Harries 
Tom Archer … William Troughton 
Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde
Leonard Berry … Paul Copley
Ruairi Donovan … Arthur Hughes
George Grundy … Angus Stobie
Bert Horrobin…  David Sterne
Brad Horrobin … Taylor Uttley
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell 
Adam Macy … Andrew Wincott  
Akram Malik ... Asif Khan
Dr Azra Malik … Yasmin Wilde 
Carol Tregorran … Mia Soteriou
Anna Tregorran … Isobel Middleton

Sun: Brad has something on his mind, and Brian makes a decision.
Mon: Leonard has a proposition for Carol, and Natasha looks forward to showing off her skills.
Tue: Ruth has a lot to think about, and Anna tries to keep her cool.
Wed: Ruairi gets some food for thought, and there’s disaster for the Maliks.
Thu: Brian fears the worst, and Brad comes to a decision.
Fri: Brian has to fend off questions, and Tom gets a shock.