'I'm 16 and I love The Archers'

Cameron Fairhurst from St Helens in Merseyside blogs for Newsbeat on why he's hooked on the Archers

Have you ever heard of The Archers? A band? A famous family? Well, you'd be half right with the last one.

The Archers are a family and, yes, I guess you could call them famous. In short, The Archers is a BBC radio soap opera.

Like EastEnders but on the radio? Yes.

And if it could instantly hook this babbling teenager, then, without doubt, it could hook you too. Be warned - as every Archers fan knows, resistance is futile.

I'd be wrong to say that no other teenager listens to The Archers but there is general amazement on people's faces when I tell them I love the show.

So I think I should tell you how I first let The Archers into my life.

To those of you who are also Archers addicts you will have your own personal experience of "moving to Ambridge", the fictional village where the characters live.

It happened for me as I was listening to some vintage tunes on Radio 2, as I often do, when an interview with the show's editor came on. The discussion centred around the recent anniversary of the programme and when it finished I thought, "I've got to check this out".

So, there I was, Googling "The Archers", and heading to the show's homepage. I clicked play on the recent episode, the theme tune faded up and... well, I've never looked back.

The Archers is the only drama that I feel I belong to.

Listening to it makes me feel like I'm a neighbour, sneakily listening in on the gossip of Ambridge. I feel like the Archers are a metaphorical second family.

Over time you become more acquainted with the residents of the village and the ordinary day-to-day lives of the people matter to you - whether they'll succeed in battling their current problems or if they'll decide to take the plunge in some life-long dream - they all matter to you, like actual neighbours.

As someone with an extremely unpredictable life at the moment, the separate environment of Borsetshire is a virtual world I can always escape to, knowing everyone and everything about it, almost as if leading a double life - one in reality, and another in the fictional, yet seemingly real, Ambridge.

When I began listening, I became involved in the domestic abuse storyline between Rob and Helen Titchener - which has been brilliantly portrayed by Louiza Patikas and Timothy Watson, as well as the whole team working on the programme.

As an aspiring scriptwriter, I admire this storyline; how it has been compellingly written and how the story has steadily developed over time.

I like the way in which they gradually unmasked Rob, showing his abusive nature bit by bit in each episode.

The power of this storyline has united fans of The Archers, resulting in many coming out in force to stand in Helen's corner. The way in which Rob patronised Helen always made for a sinister cliffhanger at the end of an episode. Friday cliffhangers are always the worst, or best, depending on which way you look at it.

And Saturdays are just awful without my daily fix of The Archers!

The Archers has also raised awareness of the effects of domestic abuse and what it can potentially lead to.

So far fans have raised more than £100,000 for charities combating and helping victims of domestic abuse.

Rob with Helen are the characters at the centre of the most dramatic storyline in the Archers' history

After listeners heard the dramatic turn of events, with Helen stabbing Rob, I rang my best friend, Tom, who had never listened to The Archers before. And rather surprisingly for him, he was hooked from beginning to end. Welcome to Ambridge!

I often find myself watching TV soaps too - EastEnders for example, had me completely hooked with the "Who Killed Lucy Beale?" storyline.

But the audio format of The Archers is fantastic because you are able to personally connect with the characters and storylines in your imagination.

I feel like I know these characters and I understand their personal stories. Even though the actors and production team are conveying the story to the audience via audio, I'm able to create and imagine the scenes in my head as they unfold.

I adore all these unique aspects of The Archers - and right now, no other soap opera competes.

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