Archers fans call for change as editor Vanessa Whitburn steps down Whitburn admitted to Mair that "people would think Nigel's death was a lowlight," but stressed the high ratings. On the Archers' official Facebook page, fans said they could "never forgive" Whitburn for killing Nigel, and called the incident a "slaughter." Commenters on Archers Addicts, the Official Fan Club for the show, also criticised the plotline, calling it a "totally unnecessary" move. Whitburn said that the "really big stories" had been the highlights of her time as editor. She described Archers listeners as "eloquent, very committed and extremely nice," adding, "they're an intelligent lot and very demanding." On The Telegraph commenters said that they found storylines repetitive, "disappointingly dull" and that it was "time for new ideas." Others stressed a need for a return to rural affairs in the show, asking that the next editor "live in the country and work from home," and that the show sounded like "a townie's view of a rural EastEnders." However, there was praise for Whitburn too. Commenter Farmer1 said that Whitburn would be a "great loss" to The Archers and praised the dramatic storylines, saying they "never failed to keep me entertained, which is, let's face it, the point of the show." Whitburn's tenure as editor will finish in May, and BBC bosses are to begin the recruitment process for her replacement shortly. You can join in the discussion on our Archers message board here.