The Duchess of Cornwall admitted suffering from “severe withdrawal symptoms” from Radio 4’s drama The Archers after recordings were cut off during Covid.

The Duchess made the remarks while hosting a reception for cast and crew to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the long-running drama that charts life in the fictional village of Ambridge.

A scene written for the occasion was recorded as Camilla watched.

The “Archers addict” had previously made a cameo on the show.

The Duchess joked that she was known to become “quite worn out” when disturbed while listening to the drama, which was recorded at the BBC’s Birmingham studios in The Mailbox.

The longest running serial drama in the world began in 1951 with the original purpose of educating farmers in modern farming methods.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the cast remotely recorded scenes for the first time in its history, forcing the characters to have one-sided conversations.

At the Clarence House reception he praised the program for raising awareness on issues such as domestic violence, homophobia and modern slavery.

“For 70 years of raising awareness of others’ hidden struggles, we are deeply grateful,” he said.

The show has been a “faithful companion for most of my life,” he explained.

“Like many other Archers addicts, I’ve been known to get quite saddened when disturbed between 7pm and 7.15pm – and, like thousands of others, have had severe withdrawal symptoms when you nearly disappeared during the block.

“But I’m very happy you’re back, let’s keep it up,” he added.

He saw the actors record a scene in which he heard the character Lilian Bellamy, played by Sunny Ormonde, trying to dissuade Lynda Snell, played by Carole Boyd, from going upstairs to explore.

Clarence House tweeted an excerpt pointing to the show’s official Twitter feed for the wrap.

Camilla, who wore an Archers badge, was joined by 102-year-old June Spencer who plays Peggy Woolley to cut an Archers-themed cake.

He told the cast and crew that it was nice to name the faces, adding, “Now we look forward to the next 70 years in Ambridge. Please don’t let anything stand in your way.”

In 2011, Camilla’s cameo, during a visit to BBC Birmingham, was part of a special episode to celebrate the 60th anniversary.

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