Lucy Speed on Stella Pryor's calm, baby bombshell & her place in Ambridge | All About The Archers

Philippa sits down with Lucy Speed, who plays Stella Pryor in The Archers, for one of the most thoughtful cast conversations the podcast has ever had. Lucy unpacks what makes Stella tick — her self-assurance, her ability to stay steady under pressure, and why that calm is something genuinely earned rather than performed. They talk about Stella's journey from independent career farmer to ready-made family, the conversation about babies that caught Stella completely off guard, and what it was like playing opposite Brian at his most difficult. Lucy also reflects on playing long-running characters across The Bill, EastEnders and Heartstopper, and what she wants to represent through all of them. Part two, with listener questions from the Facebook group, follows in two weeks. Subscribe to All About The Archers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen. Subscribe on YouTube so you never miss an episode. Put your questions for part two in our Facebook group now. 00:00 Welcome and introductions 01:30 What drew Lucy to Stella from the very beginning 04:00 Is Stella independent or just herself? 06:30 Stella's calm — performance or earned? 09:00 Working with Brian and not matching his energy 12:00 The ready-made family and Pip 15:00 The baby conversation nobody had properly 18:30 Would Stella go back to farming? 21:00 Menopause and what might shake Stella's foundations 24:00 Representing normal, brilliant women — The Bill, EastEnders, Heartstopper 28:00 Josh, the farm inheritance comparison and empathy for Brian 32:00 The biscuit question — Tunnock's, party rings and a Tupperware memory 35:00 Part two coming in two weeks #TheArchers #AllAboutTheArchers #BBCRadio4 #LucySpeed #StellaPryor #ambridge SUPPORT ALL ABOUT THE ARCHERS: You can BUY US A COFFEE here: buymeacoffee.com/allaboutthearchers You can buy our MERCH here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/abou... Do join our FACEBOOK Group:   / 1127587031446013