Actor and scriptwriter Norman Painting, who has played Philip Archer on The Archers ever since the series' first pilot show in 1950, has died aged 85, the BBC said today.

The actor appears in the Guiness Book of Records for the world's longest running acting role for his 59-year stint in the much-loved BBC Radio 4 programme.

A bachelor who lived alone, it is understood that he was found by his carer this morning at his cottage in the village of Warmington in Oxfordshire.

Mark Thompson, BBC director general, said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of the death.

"He was a pillar of the Archers family, but to millions of listeners he became a friend and latterly a wonderful father figure," said Mr Thompson.

"His death leaves us with a great sense of loss but an even deeper feeling of gratitude for such a huge contribution to the BBC and its audience over six decades."

It is 54 years since Mr Painting's most dramatic appearance in the countryside drama - when his first wife, Grace Archer, played by Ysanne Churchman, burned to death while trying to rescue a horse from a barn on their farm.

His character remarried, to Jill, and has in latter years lived in retirement at Glebe Cottage overseeing the doings of their children David Archer, the reliable son who took over control of the family farm, Kenton, the ne'er-do-well, Elizabeth Pargetter, married to posh but poor landowner Nigel, and Shula Hebden Lloyd.

For 20 years Mr Painting was also an Archers scriptwriter, writing an epic 1,198 scripts for the programme.

Born in Leamington Spa in 1924, Warwickshire, Mr Painting studied at Birmingham University, where his contemporaries included distinguished conductors Sir Edward Downes and Brian Priestman, with whom in the 1950s he was co-founder of Opera da Camera.

Graduating with first-class honours in English, he won a research scholarship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he was much involved in university drama, both as actor and director. He took part in a production of King Lear with a now distinguished cast including Sir Peter Parker as King Lear, Shirley Catlin - now Baroness Williams - Robert Robinson, John Schlesinger and Jack May (who later played Nelson Gabriel in The Archers).

He wrote, or adapted for radio, many drama and documentary scripts, in 1967 receiving a Writers’ Guild Award.

He was a panellist on Call My Bluff for BBC Two, BBC Radio 4's Quote...Unquote... and On the Air for BBC Radio 2. He was also the ‘castaway’ on Desert Island Discs as part of The Archers’ 50th anniversary celebration programmes on New Year’s Day, 2001. In 1991 he was the subject of This Is Your Life.

He was appointed OBE in the New Year’s Honours for 1976 and he is the only honorary Life Governor of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. In later life his old college, Christ Church, made him an honorary Member of High Table, a privilege which he said he enjoyed enormously.

Amid a host of charity work he was Vice President of the Tree Council, patron of the Friends of Birmingham Cathedral, and patron of First Steps To Freedom which helps people nationwide with their phobias. His BBC Radio 4 charitable appeal in 2000 for farmers and their families raised £40,000, and as a result he was appointed a vice-president of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.

In 1975 he published his own account of the history of The Archers, Forever Ambridge, which became an instant best-seller, and was updated in 1980 to mark 30 years of the programme. His autobiography, Reluctant Archer, was published in 1982.

He had appeared on the show only sporadically over the last year, fighting bladder cancer and heart problems. Last heard on the show last month, he returned for what was to be his final day in the studio on Tuesday last week. Fans will be able to hear his final episode on Sunday November 22, when the character will be surrounded by his grandchildren, preparing for Christmas.

The show’s editor, Vanessa Whitburn, described Mr Painting as a consummate professional.

“Under his sure hand, Phil graduated seamlessly from young romantic hero to serious farmer and father - holding Brookfield together in good times and bad, handing over the farm to eldest son David in 2001," she said.

“Norman then gave us the delighted grandfather; enjoying astronomy with Daniel, music with Pip and finally always there when needed to give advice about farming methods of the past to son David.

“Norman always wanted to remain working on The Archers until he died - and I am delighted and proud of him that he achieved his wish.”

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