Grace Archer Grace Archer Grace Archer (née Fairbrother) (April 2, 1930 – September 22, 1955) is a fictional character from the BBC's long-running radio soap, "The Archers". She was one of the original characters and was played by Monica Gray and then Ysanne Churchman. The episode depicting her death was broadcast by the BBC on the evening of the launch of ITV, so as to distract from it. Grace is the daughter of a wealthy English family. She falls in love with Phil Archer (Norman Painting), the son of a farmer, and they are married in April 1955. A few months later,
Colin Skipp role. Colin Skipp Colin Skipp (born 1939) is a British actor, best known for playing Tony Archer in the BBC radio series "The Archers" for 46 years. Skipp had played the character of Tony Archer for 46 years (1967–2013), on the date of his retirement, making him the seventh longest continuously serving radio soap actor. The role was taken over in January 2014 by the actor David Troughton. In 2004, he directed the stage play "The Sound of Julie" at the Charles Cryer Theatre, Carshalton, a dramatisation of the life of actress Julie Andrews. Skipp's daughter, Nova, was in the