There is much anger in Ambridge after Tom’s actions at St Stephen’s.

Radio Times: Alice tidies up and Roy foots the bill.

Characters: Alice, Helen, Kirsty, Pat, Peggy, Roy, Tony

• A dismayed Roy is left outside St Stephens to try and pick up the pieces of Tom and Kirsty’s wedding. Pat wants to speak to Tom, but Roy insists he should be left with Alan. Alice frantically tries to cancel the doves she ordered and Joe wants to know whether a tab will be set up at the bar for all the disappointed guests.
• Pat and Tony are in shock, though this manifests itself more in anger on Tony’s part. He will never understand Tom. When they hear that Peggy gave Tom advice the evening before, Pat and Tony are even more appalled, though Peggy makes it very clear that she told Tom to call it off then rather than at the church.
• Helen takes Kirsty back to Lower Loxley, where Helen lets it slip that Tom did express doubts on his stag night, though she put this down to his having drunk too much. Kirsty is furious; she has been such a good friend to Helen, so why did Helen not tell her this? It seems that loyalty counts for nothing with the Archers and she wants nothing to do with any of them. Kirsty tells Helen to get out, just as Tom arrives, trying to persuade Kirsty to speak to him.
• Pat makes tea for Tony and Peggy, when Tom arrives, but far from expressions of concern and sympathy, he meets with anger and a great deal of plain speaking. Valiantly trying to defend himself, Tom claims he ‘nearly’ told Kirsty last night, and that his actions ‘took courage’, but his family see the situation rather differently. In a final attempt to restore his credibility, Tom says he will pay for everything. That is the final straw for Tony, who says that John would have been ashamed of him – and weakly, Tom says he had better be going. Yes, says his father, you should.