Sir David Jason, 85, made a moving appearance at the British Soap Awards — but his elegant entrance masked a journey of incredible resilience. The beloved actor, famed for his role as Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, has recently overcome serious health issues, including surgery and a frightening bout of Covid-19.
In 2023, he had to delay a highly anticipated Only Fools and Horses convention. With typical humour, he told fans: “I am so very sorry for the disappointment and all the inconvenience it may cause but we are having to change the date… Unfortunately I have just been advised I need a new bionic body part fitted. I won’t tell you which part it is, or you will all want one! And don’t worry it’s not being supplied by Monkey Harris, it’ll be the pukka gear.”
But behind the jokes was a genuine struggle. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he opened up about his terrifying experience with Covid, describing how it left him too weak to stand: “I crawled towards the bed… I used the bed as support… but I couldn’t. I struggled for approximately fifteen minutes, trying various techniques to stand up and walk around.”
In a bizarre but memorable detail, he revealed: “I dragged my head across the floor to the door, and ended up with carpet burns. I might be the first person to experience Covid and carpet burns simultaneously.”
His road to recovery included muscle therapy and perseverance. In a later interview with Lorraine, he admitted: “I’m having a little trouble getting the muscles back because I was so infirm for two or three weeks. I wasn’t using the legs at all… I’m getting it back. I’m doing some exercises and working on it — but the hip itself is wonderful.”
Now, Sir David is back on screen with David and Jay’s Touring Toolshed, standing tall — and without crutches — once more.
