Only Fools and Horses Star Reveals Hidden Tensions and Nostalgic Struggles
In 1981, the iconic yellow three-wheeler van first rolled onto screens, introducing the world to the Trotter family from Peckham with their famous dream of becoming millionaires. Only Fools and Horses, the beloved BBC sitcom that evolved into a national institution, continues to captivate audiences more than four decades after its debut. However, behind the laughter and timeless comedy, the reality for the cast and crew was often fraught with tension and anxiety.
The Nerve-Wracking Reality of Live Studio Recordings
Tessa Peake-Jones, who portrayed Del Boy's partner Raquel Turner, has recently opened up about the intense pressures faced during live audience studio scenes. "It's really frightening because you have got several hundred people watching you," admits Tessa, now 68. She has just completed filming for Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive, a special for comedy channel U&GOLD marking the show's milestone 45th anniversary.
"It's a very peculiar thing that I never quite got used to," she continues. "If people had seen us backstage before the show, they'd have seen people pacing up and down the corridors with nerves, including David and Nick. We cared so much, and we wanted to get it right, but one slip-up of a word could ruin that laugh."
Rehearsals and the Loss of Humour
Before stepping into the studio, the Bafta-winning cast dedicated countless hours to rehearsals, which Tessa reveals often stripped the humour from the material. "If you're doing comedy, you find you don't want to laugh because then you break the reality of it," she recalls. "Usually, we've seen it all in rehearsals so many times, it's not that funny any more anyway."
The Emotional Toll of Revisiting the Past
The two-part special, set for release later this year, features interviews with cast and crew alongside archive material from over ten classic episodes, including Christmas specials like The Jolly Boys' Outing and Mother Nature's Son. While the reunion is anticipated to delight viewers, filming proved emotionally challenging for returning cast members Sir David Jason (86), Tessa, Gwyneth Strong (66), and Sue Holderness (76).
"You're looking back at something 30 years ago and we're all a lot older now, so you just look so different," reflects Tessa. "It was harder for David because some of that stuff for him is looking back 40 years, which I know he finds quite odd. It was nice spending the day with him because we don't get to meet up that often. But he said, 'Isn't it odd to see yourself looking so much younger?'"
Tessa describes the experience as "quite depressing" and something she would not wish to repeat. "You think, 'Oh, we were in our prime!' which is quite a weird thing to be witnessing decades later. It's a very odd experience. It was a bit like torture to be forced to sit on the sofa and watch this stuff back from 30 years ago, it really was, but it's part of the job."
Life Beyond Only Fools and Horses
Away from the sitcom, Tessa is preparing for her role in the new stage comedy-drama Invisible Me at London's Southwark Playhouse, written by Bren Gosling. She plays Lynn, a hotel cleaner and domestic abuse survivor exploring romance in later life. The theme resonates deeply with Tessa, who split from her ex-partner, actor Douglas Hodge, in 2013 after three decades together.
"When you get to a certain age in your 50s and 60s, people stop noticing you," she observes. "And that's for men and women – you're just not noticed as much. So to look at that age group and say, 'How about we try to get them back dating' is fascinating. How do you do that at 60 when you're not very good on the internet, and you're not great online? What do people do? All of that is really fun."
When asked if the role has inspired her to date again, Tessa smiles, "It hasn't but never say never." She highlights the challenges of modern dating for older generations, noting, "It's probably easier for younger generations who've learned about emails and all that stuff from very early on. I can't use anything but my forefinger to type anything on my phone, and it takes forever. So, it's a training that we never had, so when you add that extra layer of how to meet someone, it makes things even harder."
Farewell to Grantchester and Nostalgic Mementos
This year also marks Tessa's departure from ITV period drama Grantchester, where she played devout housekeeper Mrs Maguire for a decade. "We finished filming in November," she shares. "We had no idea it would go on for 11 years, so we've been incredibly lucky." As a memento, she kept her character's specially made girdles, which helped her maintain an upright posture, joking they might come in handy for future posh events.
In contrast, no mementos were taken from the set of Only Fools and Horses, as the cast never believed the show would truly end. "Every time you finished, dear old John Sullivan would say, 'Well, that's it now'," explains Tessa. "Then three years later, he'd contact us again and say, 'I've written another script'. When we finally did the last one, we all thought we might come back next year. I kept some of my scripts because they're quite nostalgic. It'll be something I'll always be able to look back on."
Legacy and Future of the Show
Tessa fondly remembers the show's familial atmosphere, "Everyone was so lovely and welcoming when I joined. We used to meet up at Christmas time for the TV special. It was like a family meeting up and catching up about what we've done during the year. I don't think any of us really thought it was going to end." The final Christmas special, Sleepless in Peckham, drew a staggering 24.5 million viewers in 2003.
Despite a successful West End musical adaptation in 2019, created by Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, Tessa hopes there will be no television reboot. "It's best left alone," she asserts. "John Sullivan was the genius behind the show. I don't think you could ever repeat that and I hope they don't. Some reboots, or when they've brought everyone back for a prequel, just haven't worked."
She notes the show's enduring appeal through repeats, "We get letters from youngsters all the time saying, 'Oh, my granddad watched this show', or 'My parents watched this, and they loved it', so it passes down the generations. I think leave it like that – you don't want to fiddle about with it." Only fools would disagree.
