The BBC has announced the death of Ian Pepperell, who has died after a long illness aged just 53. The star is best known for playing Roy Tucker in BBC’s The Archers, and for a stint on EastEnders. “Ian was the perfect Archers actor,” The Archers editor Jeremy Howe said. “It is tragic that he died in his prime, we will miss him dearly.” He starred in many roles over the years—appearing in EastEnders in 1985, Beck in 1996 and Get Real in 1998.