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What will The Archers Trial Week be like for Helen?

LOUIZA: I hope that by the time of the trial, Helen will have found the strength to face Rob and to see more clearly what he has done. The support of her family, of Ian and Kirsty, and especially Kaz's wise and gentle coaxing, will strengthen her resolve. Having said that, the pressure for Helen to get it right in court - in order to get her children back and to minimise Rob's presence in their lives - is intense and almost overwhelming.

Timothy Watson and Louiza Patikas play Rob and Helen in The Archers

What’s the one thing that Rob is most frustrated about ahead of the trial?

TIMOTHY: In Rob’s world, he is surrounded by idiots and incompetents. So he is probably permanently frustrated.

What was it like recording the trial episodes for you as an actor?

TIMOTHY: The trial episodes were potent - there’s no pretending otherwise. But in the interests of finding as much truth as possible I have always tried to approach every scene in every episode the same way: to tell the story of the moment as best I can.

LOUIZA: It's a crucial milestone in a powerful and impactful storyline. And, like Helen, I wanted to get it right on the day. The lead writer on this storyline, Tim Stimpson, has done an amazing job throughout and it's great for all of us that he got to follow it through to its conclusion.

What was it like to write the script for the trial week?

TIM: I was thrilled to be asked to write the week of the trial, but it also felt like an onerous responsibility. So many of our assumptions about the justice system are based on American courtroom dramas, but British courts are much more sober and non-confrontational. This is no doubt good for justice, but isn’t so great for drama. The greatest challenge was finding a way to maintain suspense within the limits of the law.

Scriptwriter Tim Stimpson wrote The Archers Trial Week episodes

Is it hard to write for both Helen and Rob and get into the minds of two very different characters?

TIM: I've spent so long living with Helen and Rob in my head it wasn't hard to write for them. Even a person like Rob will convince himself that he's a good person, and if you follow those psychological contortions you can usually find the core of who they are. If anything Helen was harder to write for as she has had to bury so much deep in her subconscious.

The majority of the Helen & Rob storyline has happened behind closed doors. Did it feel different to play Helen/Rob in an open court?

LOUIZA: After a long period of playing scenes where Helen is restricted to one-to-one encounters, either at home with Rob or Ursula, or in prison with Kaz or Anna, it was realistically disconcerting to suddenly find myself in an environment with lots of actors at once, many of whom I hadn't met before.

TIMOTHY: Not really. Rob has always presented a public, as well as a private persona. He fully expects support from the community for the 'wrongs he has suffered'. He has never been afraid to make certain enemies in order to gain certain allies.

What’s the one thing that Helen is the most scared/worried about ahead of the trial?

LOUIZA: Helen is most scared of losing her children. There are several possible outcomes from the trial - it's not just win or lose. It would be devastating for Helen to be found guilty and sent back to prison, thereby losing both of her children to Rob. But it would be equally terrible to be found not guilty yet still potentially lose custody of Henry and Jack to Rob, and have to live in Ambridge watching her children being brought up by him. The stakes here are incredibly high for Helen.

How is it possible that Rob still thinks he hasn’t done anything wrong with the way he’s treated Helen?

TIMOTHY: Rob Titchener is narcissistic and horrendously abusive. A psychopath. He has no ability to conduct a proper loving relationship.

During the trial how have you ensured Helen’s experiences are portrayed realistically?

TIM: We have had a lot of assistance from professionals and charities to make sure that the portrayal of Helen's experience is correct. I spent a day at Birmingham Crown Court sitting in on a variety of trials and a barrister has helped us devise the storyline. We've had lots of advice about what Helen's life would be like in a Mother and Baby Unit. Having to bring little Jack with her to court means Helen's experience is quite unusual.

What has it been like to act with Louiza Patikas on this storyline?

TIMOTHY: It is talked about as the 'Helen and Rob' storyline but in fact this saga has been the playing out of the latest chapter in Helen’s complicated journey and I am so proud to have been part of the telling of it. Louiza is simply fantastic and has been a joy to work with.

What has it been like to act with Timothy Watson on this storyline?

LOUIZA: Timothy is a very talented actor and it has been a great pleasure acting with him. It just worked right from the beginning. In fact we miss acting together, as we don't get many chances these days. It's odd passing each other on the way in and out of the studio!