In December 2015, a law was passed in the UK that criminalised coercive control, a form of non violent abuse where one partner controls and emotionally manipulates another over a sustained period of time. At this time, coercive control was little understood – even though it is said to be one of the most common forms of abuse.

How does The Archers come in to this?

The Archers had been working with Women’s Aid and Refuge to ‘raise awareness about this extraordinarily sensitive and painful subject’ through the story of Helen and Rob.

The public response to the storyline was huge – The Archers was credited with starting a national debate about the issue and calls to the National Domestic Violence helpline went up 17% in what Women’s Aid dubbed “The Archers Effect”. Archers listeners were inspired to raise £200,000 for a women’s charity.