David Jason has revealed he “never” thought he would appear in one of Britain’s highest-rated festive specials – especially after starting out in front of the camera as a goose.
The 82-year-old actor made his television debut on December 26, 1965 playing King Goose in a BBC production of Mother Goose.
Thirty-one years later, on December 26, 1996, 24.3 million people saw him as Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in the Only Fools And Horses Christmas special, where he and Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) dressed up as Batman and Robin.
Career: David Jason has revealed he ‘never’ thought he would appear in one of Britain’s top-rated festive specials – particularly after starting on camera as a goose (pictured November 2022)
According to the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, this is one of the largest viewership figures ever recorded for a single UK broadcast.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, David said: “It’s been a journey. You never thought this could happen to you playing the King of Goose Land on TV…you’re lucky if you have another job.”
David, who grew up in North Finchley, London, shared how his whole family gathered to see his first television appearance.
He said: “The thing is, you come from a poor, working-class family and because television was fairly new at the time, it wasn’t in everyone’s house.
Achievement: On December 26, 1996, 24.3 million people saw him as Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in the Only Fools And Horses Christmas special, where he and Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) dressed up as Batman and Robin
“But then having one of your own, actually having one of your family on TV itself was an amazing achievement.”
David added that his family “never made a big deal about his fame,” and his father jokingly said, “Oh you stupid dude, are you flying around?” to keep him humbled.
Earlier this year, David revealed his favorite Only Fools And Horses episode and the poignant scene that almost brought him to tears.
In quotes from The Sun, he recalled “the sheer fun” of the 1989 special “The Jolly Boys’ Outing” and spoke about the late John Challis in “a world that’s gone.”
Beginnings: The 82-year-old actor made his television debut on December 26, 1965 playing King Goose in a BBC production of Mother Goose
John died “peacefully in his sleep” in September last year at the age of 79 after a long battle with cancer and was best known for his portrayal of used car dealer Boycie – a cigar-smoking businessman who clashed with Del Boy.
In the book, David notes, “It’s the sequence where Harry Nilsson’s Everybody’s Talkin’ plays as we see the cast board the bus to Margate and the hustle and bustle of the day begins to unfold.
“The magic of Only Fools is condensed into this single sequence – the bond of friends that the cast have become and the sheer fun of it all. And of course, so many of these faces are no longer with us.”
He continued: “These days the sight of John Challis reaching over to take my hat off is so poignant that I practically have to close my eyes and it’s a world gone.”
Sir David explained that the scene encapsulates the relationship between the cast and exactly how it feels to work on the show.
David said, “It was a journey. You never thought that this could possibly happen when you play the King of Gooseland on TV… You’re lucky if you have another job.
The sixth series episode of the sitcom sees the group depart for the Jolly Boys’ annual trip to Margate, where Rodney is arrested and the bus’s radio, supplied by Del Boy, sets the vehicle ablaze.
It comes after Sir David said he would “love to” reprise his role as Del Boy 40 years after Only Fools And Horses premiered.
The actor last appeared in his role in July 2021 to wish Gareth Southgate and the England team the best of luck in the Euro 2020 final.
Before that, he starred in a Sports Relief sketch called Beckham in Peckham in 2014, in which Del attempted to sell underpants called Golden Balls endorsed by David Beckham – starring the footballer as himself.
Sir David told The Sun that he wants to put his flat cap back on and reconsider his role as a wheeler dealer.
The show ran for a decade between 1981 and 1991 and the show has had several specials since it aired.
Family: David added that his family ‘never made a big deal about his fame’ and his father jokingly said ‘oh you stupid bastard, are you flying around there?’ to keep him humble’ (pictured January 2022 )