Only Fools and Horses remains one of the most iconic television shows in British television history.08:30, 07 Aug 2026Only Fools and Horses: Iconic moment Del Boy falls through barWhen it comes to British sitcoms, they don’t get much more memorable than Only Fools and Horses.‌Written by John Sullivan, Only Fools and Horses premiered in September 1981 and followed the dodgy Trotter family residing in a Peckham high-rise, and their quest to become millionaires. Their cosy flat was initially occupied by Del Boy (David Jason), his younger sibling Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst), and their scruffy, bone idle Grandad (Lennard Pearce).‌The infamous 'Time on Our Hands' episode saw Del Boy and Rodney finally find their fortune after selling an old pocket watch found in their garage for over £6million. The 1996 Christmas special was watched by 24.3 million viewers, nearly half the country's population at the time, and set the highest viewing record ever for a comedy TV show in the UK.‌All these years later, the stars of the show remain celebrated for their performances in Only Fools and Horses, with the program still gaining legions of fans despite ending in 2023, reports the Daily Star.Here is a rundown of some of the most unforgettable characters and what became of the actors who portrayed them after Only Fools and Horses finished.Sir David Jason‌Sir David Jason portrayed optimistic market trader Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter from 1981 to 2003, and had a way with the French language, using phrases like "Bonnet de douch"e to show he was impressed.Despite becoming flush with cash, Del Boy lost his millions when his investment in the Central American stock market crashed, forcing him to move back to Peckham to resume life as a wheeler-dealer.Sir David, 86, largely enjoys a quieter pace of life, though he has kept himself occupied in recent years penning books, including the memoirs This Time Next Year (2024) and A Del of a Life: Lessons I've Learned (2020).‌He is also celebrated for other roles, including Pop Larkin in The Darling Buds of May, DI Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost, and Granville in Open All Hours and Still Open All Hours.In 2005, Sir David tied the knot with Gill Hinchcliffe, and the couple has one daughter, Sophie Mae Jason, born in 2001.He was previously in a lengthy relationship with Welsh actress Myfanwy Talog for 18 years, remaining together until her heartbreaking death from breast cancer in 1995. In 2023, he discovered he had a 52-year-old long-lost daughter named Abi Harris, born in 1970.‌Roger Lloyd PackTrigger was a petty thief and childhood friend of Del Boy, appearing from the sitcom's very first episode. He swiftly became a beloved national figure and iconic to British comedy.The dim-witted roadsweeper was renowned for taking pride in using the same broom for 20 years, despite it having had 17 new heads and 14 new handles, and for persistently calling Rodney Dave. He also believed that his own father had "died a couple of years before I was born."‌The actor was also recognised for his role as Owen Newitt in The Vicar of Dibley and featured as Barty Crouch in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.Roger succumbed to pancreatic cancer on January 15, 2014, aged 69. He died peacefully at his London home, surrounded by loved ones.Nicholas Lyndhurst‌Nicholas Lyndhurst is celebrated for his portrayal of Rodney Trotter, though he has also landed major roles in sitcoms, including Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart and Raymond Fletcher in Going Straight.Most recently, Nicholas has featured in the reimagined American sitcom Frasier, taking on the role of Alan Cromwell, which launched in 2023.Discussing his transatlantic work, the actor told Radio Times: "I'm just here for the duration of the show, and I'll go home to the UK afterward. But it is absolutely wonderful to be here for now."‌The comedy legend married partner Lucy Jane Smith, a former ballet dancer, in West Sussex in September 1999. Their only child, Archie Lyndhurst, was born in London on October 2, 2000.Tragically, their son died in his sleep from a brain haemorrhage in 2020. In a moving statement, he said that he and his wife were "utterly grief-stricken and respectfully request privacy".Nicholas now leads a peaceful life in West Sussex alongside his wife. During his spare time, he pursues underwater diving, beekeeping, and flying his own aircraft.‌John ChallisJohn first appeared on the sitcom as the dodgy second-hand car dealer Boycie in the second episode, entitled "Go West Young Man". It was his smart appearance and pompous manner that left Del Boy and Rodney amused, while his distinctive high-pitched, nasal laugh became legendary in British comedy.After Only Fools and Horses concluded in 2003, Boycie and his wife, Marlene (Sue Holderness), fronted the spin-off series, Green Green Grass, escaping Peckham for a Shropshire farm after crossing local criminals.‌John had also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine, My Family, Doctors, Are You Being Served?, and famously played Monty Staines in the sitcom Benidorm between 2015 and 2018.The sitcom was penned by John Sullivan and broadcast between 2005 and 2009. John succumbed to cancer, dying peacefully in his sleep at the age of 79 on September 19, 2021. He had received his cancer diagnosis in 2019.Lennard Pearce‌Grandad was adored by his on-screen family and audiences alike for his bone-dry wit, workshy nature, watching two tellies simultaneously, and appalling culinary skills. Who could possibly forget the Christmas he roasted a turkey with the plastic bag of giblets still stuffed inside?Del once described Grandad as useful as a "pair of sunglasses on a bloke with one ear", and the elderly relative remained a beloved mainstay of the sitcom until actor Lennard Pearce's heartbreaking death from a sudden heart attack in 1984, aged 69.Scripts had already been penned for series four when Lennard died, creating a significant challenge for production.‌Grandad was removed from the programme, and the character's funeral was broadcast during the Strained Relations episode, which simultaneously introduced his brother, Uncle Albert.Gwyneth StrongCassandra made her first appearance during the 1989 Yuppy Love episode, swiftly capturing Rodney's attention after the pair met at an evening adult education class.‌Over 14 years, Rodney and bank worker Cassandra tied the knot, built a life together, and following a devastating miscarriage, welcomed their daughter Joan into the world.Earlier this year, Gwyneth Strong took on the role of hospital inspector Ceri Mayland in the BBC One medical drama Casualty across three episodes.In 2016, she had a brief appearance on EastEnders as Geraldine Clough, and in 2010, she took on the part of Katie Soper in Midsomer Murders.‌Her other credits include WPC Rachel McMahon in the two-part drama The Missing Postman, a role in the BBC series Real Women between 1997 and 1998, and the part of Hetty in ITV's Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married (1999).She also featured in the "True Confessions" two-part storyline of A Touch of Frost, sharing the screen once again with her Only Fools and Horses co-star David Jason. Gwyneth wed her long-term partner, former Footballers' Wives star Jesse Birdsall, in 2000. The pair have two children: son Oscar, born in 1988, and daughter Lottie, born in 1991.Tessa Peake-Jones‌Tessa Peake-Jones first appeared in a guest capacity as Raquel in the BBC sitcom in 1988, before making a permanent return in the Jolly Boys Outing special in 1989.The actress played Del Boy's love interest and stayed with the show right through to the final episode in 2003.Since 2014, she has played Mrs Chapman in the ITV drama Grantchester and also featured in the 2025 Channel 5 series The Feud. Tessa was recently confirmed to be joining the detective drama Bergerac for an upcoming new season.‌Away from the show, Tess was in a long-term relationship with actor Douglas Hodge, who played grown-up Damien in Only Fools for the Heroes and Villains, and they share two children together.Following nearly three decades together, the pair announced their amicable separation in February 2013, confirming they had officially parted ways during autumn 2012.Buster Merryfield‌Harry 'Buster' Merryfield became synonymous with his role as Uncle Albert and had acquired the nickname "Buster" from his grandfather because he weighed 9 pounds at birth.Buster launched his professional acting career aged 57, having cultivated his passion for performance during the Second World War while serving as an entertainment officer arranging shows for servicemen.He entered the Only Fools cast as Uncle Albert in 1985 during series four and proved an instant hit with his thick, bushy white beard and trademark catchphrase, "During the war", which would frequently derail conversations with military anecdotes. Tragically, the BBC star died aged 78 at Poole General Hospital on June 23, 1999, following a battle with a brain tumour.Article continues belowHis absence was keenly felt when Only Fools returned for three specials between 2000 and 2003. Uncle Albert was subsequently written out in the episode "If They Could See Us Now".Only Fools and Horses is available to stream on ITVX