Wanted: 'Brave' new editor of The Archers (must like cow sound effects know all about Clarrie Grundy)

(l-r) Phoebe Aldridge (LUCY MORRIS), Roy Tucker (IAN PEPPERELL), Hayley Tucker (Lorraine Coady) in The Archers (BBC Radio 4)

The BBC is looking for a new editor for its long-running radio soap The Archers and says the ideal candidate must be able to learn from their mistakes and say sorry when they get things wrong.

Its former editor, Vanessa Whitburn, left earlier this year after 22 years at the helm of the rural drama which has seen it attract record numbers of listeners but also face criticism about "sexed-up" stories.

The advertisement for the new editor said they will have to "deliver compelling, ambitious and distinctive content of the highest standard" and be "generous when working with others".

It says one of key virtues needed for the job is "resilience" which it characterises as "the ability to maintain personal effectiveness by managing emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations".

Other essentials are "being brave", "trusting your team" and "Learning from your mistakes and saying sorry when you got it wrong".

The show, set in the fictional village of Ambridge, started as an experimental drama series in 1950 with the aim of educating farmers to help the country which was then still in the grip of post-war shortages.

PA