Actor Ian Pepperell, best known for playing Roy Tucker in The Archers, has died at the age of 53 following a long illness, the BBC said.

Having portrayed the hotelier in the drama for 22 years, he succumbed to a prolonged illness last Friday, BBC Radio 4 announced in an X post.

The Archers editor, Jeremy Howe, called his death "tragic," saying that he was in his prime.

"Ian was the perfect Archers actor," Howe said. "It is tragic that he died in his prime, we will miss him dearly."

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During his illustrious career, Pepperell also acted in numerous stage productions and appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Pepperell also ran a pub called The Star Inn in the town of Ringwood, UK with his wife Nikki in recent years.

In a heartfelt tribute on Facebook on the pubs page, Nikki confirmed that her husband died in "peace." 

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"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I must tell you all, that Ian left this world today - in peace, his way. As I, and all of the closest to him, knew he would.

"To die, To sleep, To sleep, perchance to dream, ay, there's the rub."

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The Archers, which started in 1951, has aired more than 20,000 episodes – making it the world’s longest-running present-day drama. 

It follows residents of a fictional village named Ambridge.