Producer 'unimpressed' by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst's on-set 'row'

23 January 2024 , 09:58

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David Jason has recalled a prank he performed with Nicholas Lyndhurst on the set of Only Fools and Horses (Image: BBC)

David Jason has teased that a producer on Only Fools and Horses did not seem "impressed" by a prank that him and Nicholas Lyndhurst performed on the set of the sitcom.

The former co-stars played siblings Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Rodney Trotter respectively on the BBC show, which ran from 1981 to 2003. David, 83, and Nicholas, 62, have both previously spoken about getting along during its production.

It's however been teased by David that they once pranked their colleagues by pretending to have a "terrible row" on set. He said that a producer didn't seem "much impressed" following the concern that the co-stars had prompted.

David Jason (right) and Nicholas Lyndhurst (left) were co-stars on BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses (BBC Worldwide)

As previously reported, David recalled: "One day, Nick and I were in our very small caravan on location. We were all fed up because nothing was happening so [we] said 'why don't we stage a huge row and you can storm out and say you're leaving and I can shout at you saying don't you ever come back again'."

He continued: "'I never want to work with you'. The whole crew went stiff. Five minutes went by and the producer and director came to see me and they were quaking in their boots. They asked what's going on and I told them to go see Nick. When they got to him, I couldn't contain myself any longer and roared with laughter. They went from white to purple in their faces. I don't think the producer was much impressed."

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David is understood to have previously recalled the prank during an appearance on Aspel & Company in 1989. He teased to host Michael Aspel that colleagues heard their exchange and that people described it as a "terrible row".

The former co-stars, pictured in 2017, have spoken about having worked together over the years (Getty)

He added whilst on the ITV talk show that he and Nicholas were encouraged to reconcile. He recalled being told by someone on the production: "I'm sure we can come to some arrangement - we've already done half the filming".

They have spoken fondly about working together over the years. David said once in an interview: "You couldn't have had a better co-partner than Nic. We liked and respected each other so much, we were genuinely good friends."

Whilst Nicholas told Red Carpet News in 2017: "We had a very similar work ethic and ethos - that we wanted to do our best as quickly as possible. You didn't have very long to record an episode [...] We didn't have much time to rehearse it so we had to have each other's back."

Joel Leaver