Actor, 88, credited with giving ‘one of the great performances in the history of British radio’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Edward Kelsey, who played Joe Grundy on The Archers from 1985, has died at the age of 88.

The actor, known as Ted, has been remembered for his “insatiably curious mind” and love of “lively conversation, good company and a great storyline” on the BBC Radio 4 soap.

His family said: “Ted counted himself immensely lucky that he was able to enjoy a long and varied career doing the thing that he loved, entertaining an audience, and fortunate indeed to have met and worked with so many talented, generous, creative people along the way.

“He embodied the principle that the show must always go on – his chief concern through increasing ill health the need to convince medical staff he was fit enough to record with his ‘extended family’ in Birmingham.”

Jeremy Howe, the editor of The Archers, added: “Ted’s time in Ambridge gave us one of the great performances in the history of British radio - idiosyncratic, warm, cantankerous yet generous, dripping with the Grundy magic and wonderfully funny.

“Ted’s Joe Grundy was a brilliant creation because Ted was a brilliant actor - and a truly lovely man and great company member. A cherished part of our team, I am sure all of us will agree that working with Ted was a rare privilege and he will be very much missed.”

Kelsey took over the part of Grundy from Haydn Jones.