David Jason's past barbed comments about the BBC have been unearthed after the actor appeared in a promotional advert for the corporation. The 86-year-old star was among almost 100 famous faces in a BBC advert titled What Has The BBC Ever Done For Me?, which aired during Sunday's World Cup final.
Jason's past criticism
Despite appearing in the advert, Jason has previously been critical of the BBC. Speaking to The Sun in 2010 at the launch of his Channel Five series The Show Must Go On, he said the corporation needed to be 'pruned' of deadwood. "The BBC expanded too far, too fast, into areas it had no business in. I think there's a lot of dead wood in there that needs pruning ... It's a good thing it is being shaken up," he said.
Jason is best known for playing Derek Trotter in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1981 to 2003, and also appeared in other BBC shows including Still Open All Hours.
Advert details
The advert featured other celebrities including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, broadcaster Louis Theroux, Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke, Cate Blanchett, Daisy Ridley, Chris McCausland, Clive Myrie, Stacey Solomon, Pudsey Bear and a number of Daleks. The BBC confirmed that most celebrities donated their time for free, except for frontman Romesh Ranganathan. A spokesman said: "Romesh was paid for his involvement in the film, due to the significant time commitment required during filming. Creative development was done in-house, and the majority of people gave their time for free. Like other broadcasters, we promote our services creatively to ensure audiences across the UK can get best value from the BBC."
Other TV work
Although Jason is best known for a BBC series, he has appeared in several successful shows for ITV including A Touch of Frost, The Darling Buds of May, and Micawber. This news comes as The Mirror revealed the cost of a special meet and greet with the Only Fools legend at the classic sitcom's annual convention in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire this November. A ticket to the convention costs £100 per day, while a package including a front row seat at the on-stage talk costs £450 per person.
