Only Fools and Horses stars faced tragedy and triumph in the years after beloved sitcom ended

Whatever happened to Del Boy and his gang of East End wheeler-dealers? We look at what happened next for the stars of the BBC sitcom

Only Fools stars Nicholas Lyndhurst, David Jason and Lennard Pearce (L-R)(Image: BBC)

Only Fools and Horses actor Patrick Murray, known for playing the sitcom’s hapless Mickey Pearce, has died, as the Daily Star revealed yesterday.

The 68-year-old, who had been fighting lung cancer, was one of the cast who light up the classic BBC comedy – featuring the antics of wheeler-dealer Del Boy – between 1981 and 2003.

Now we look at what happened to the show’s other stars…

Del Boy : Sir David Jason won millions of fans as get-rich-quick wannabe Derek Trotter, bandying catchphrases like ‘lovely jubbly’. He’s also starred in A Touch of Frost and Open All Hours. His girlfriend of 18 years, actress Myfanwy Talog, died of breast cancer in 1995.

Now 85, he’s wed to Gill, who is 20 years his junior. They have a daughter Sophie Mae. Jason recently discovered he has another daughter, Abi, from an old fling.

Patrick Murray as Mickey Pearce(Image: BBC)

Rodney : Del’s younger brother was played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, also star of TV’s Goodnight Sweetheart and US show Frasier. Now 64, he’s married to ex-ballerina Lucy Smith.

Tragically, their only son Archie, also an actor, died aged 19, in 2020, from a brain haemorrhage linked to rare form of leukaemia.

Raquel: Tessa Peake-Jones starred as Del’s wife, and mother to their son Damien, from 1988 to 2003.

The 68-year-old mum-of-two was partner of actor Douglas Hodge, who once played an adult Damien. She’s also starred in ITV’s Grantchester.

Cassandra : Gwyneth Strong was behind Rodney’s long-suffering girlfriend and wife. Now 65, the mum-of-two also starred in soap EastEnders as Geraldine Clough. She’s married to Footballers’ Wives star Jesse Birdsall.

Trigger : Roger Lloyd-Pack played the loveable dim-witted roadsweeper. He famously starred in The Vicar of Dibley too. The twice-married dad of four died, aged 69, from pancreatic cancer, in 2014.

Boycie : John Challis played the dodgy secondhand car salesman and even got a spin off series, The Green Green Grass. He also starred in ITV’s Benidorm.

Married four times, with no children, Challis died from cancer, aged 79, in 2021.

Tessa Peake-Jones as the fearsome Mrs Chapman in Grantchester(Image: ITV)

Marlene : Boycie’s flirty wife was played by Sue Holderness, who also had roles in shows like EastEnders and Doctors. Now 76, the mum-of-two is married to theatre director Mark.

Denzil: Paul Barber took on the role of the gullible Scouse lorry driver. He also starred in 1997 hit movie The Full Monty. Now 74, Barber lives in Clacton, Essex.

Grandad : Lennard Pearce played Del and Rodney’s doddery grandpa. He sadly died, aged 69, from a heart attack while making the fourth series of the show in 1984.

Uncle Albert : Buster Merryfield played the ex-Navy character who loved rum and smoking a pipe. In real-life he was an ex-WW2 soldier who was a teetotal non-smoker.

The married dad-of-one died aged 78, in 1999, with a brain tumour.

Mike Fisher : Kenneth MacDonald, also star of comedy It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, played the landlord of the Nag’s Head pub. The married dad-of-two sadly died aged 50, in 2001, from a heart attack.

Damien : Played by five actors in all, the most recent star to appear in the role of Del’s son was Ben Smith, 35, who has also starred in shows like Skins.