Country Rank Actor Character Soap Opera Years Duration UK Lesley Saweard Christine Barford The Archers 1953 -- 65 years UK Patricia Greene Jill Archer The Archers 1957 -- 61 years UK June Spencer Peggy Woolley The Archers 1950 -- 1953, 1962 -- 59 years UK William Roache Ken Barlow Coronation Street 1960 -- 2013, 2014 -- 57 years UK 5 Angela Piper Jennifer Aldridge The Archers 1963 -- 55 years UK 6 Judy Bennett Shula Hebden - Lloyd The Archers 1971 -- 47 years UK 7 Barbara Knox Rita Tanner Coronation Street 1964, 1972 -- 2009, 2010 -- 45 years UK 8 Brian Hewlett Neil Carter The Archers 1973 -- 45 years UK 9 Patricia Gallimore Pat Archer The Archers 1974 -- 44 years USA 10 Suzanne Rogers Maggie Horton Days of Our Lives 1973 -- 1984, 1985 -- 2003, 2004 -- 43 years UK 11 Helen Worth Gail Rodwell Coronation Street 1974, 1975 -- 43 years UK 12 Charles Collingwood Brian Aldridge The Archers 1975 -- 43 years USA 13 Susan Seaforth Hayes Julie Olson Williams Days of Our Lives 1968 -- 1984, 1990 -- 1996, 1999 -- 41 years USA 14 Leslie Charleson Monica Quartermaine General Hospital 1977 -- 41 years USA 15 Doug Davidson Paul Williams The Young and the Restless 1978 -- 40 years USA 16 Melody Thomas Scott Nikki Newman The Young and the Restless 1979 -- 39 years UK 17 Trevor Harrison Eddie Grundy The Archers 1979 -- 39 years USA 18 Jacklyn Zeman Bobbie Spencer General Hospital 1977 -- 2010, 2013 -- 38 years USA 19 Eric Braeden Victor Newman The Young and the Restless 1980 -- 38 years USA 20 Bill Hayes Doug Williams Days of Our Lives 1970 -- 1984, 1986 -- 1987, 1993 -- 1996, 1999 -- 37 years
who has been on a soap opera the longest
Lesley Saweard