Only Fools and Horses special featuring John Challis’s final appearance as Boycie may be lost forever
ONLY Fools And Horses fans may never get to see John Challis’s final TV appearance.
I can reveal that a Boycie and Marlene spin-off, A Marriage Made In Peckham, shot weeks before the actor’s death, is in limbo because its creator has yet to agree a deal with a UK broadcaster.
The special sees John’s character Boycie and on-screen wife Marlene, played by Sue Holderness, relive their best moments from the BBC hit sitcom in a Gogglebox-style format.
It was intended to be released last Christmas as a DVD, signed by the pair, for fans looking for collectible Only Fools And Horses merchandise.
But now Serbian director Lazar Vukovic — the man also behind John’s 2020 film Boycie In Belgrade, which highlighted the BBC sitcom’s unlikely popularity in the Balkan states — has no idea what to do with it.
Lazar told me: “We shot hours of footage which now has so much sentimental value.
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"I really want the fans to see it, they will lap it up, but I don’t know what to do with it now.
“I have no contacts within British TV and I also fear if somebody bought the footage off me, the finished article would be tampered with and not end up how myself and John wanted.
“I want John’s last work to be a fitting tribute to a man we all loved and be viewed by all the fans.”
John played dodgy car dealer Boycie for over 20 years and formed one of UK sitcoms’ most-loved couples with long-suffering wife Marlene.
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He passed away in September after a battle with cancer, which came as a shock to his Del Boy co-star David Jason who revealed his health “went downhill so fast” after appearing to be “on the road to recovery”.
Speaking in January, Sue said she had yet to grieve for him.
She explained: “I still don’t believe he is gone.
“He feels very much that he is still with us and, of course, he will be with us, he will be in our lives forever because of the wonderful Boycie that he created.”
Hopefully fans will be able to reminisce once more if his final TV appearance gets broadcast.
Keeley's creepy return
IF KEELEY Hawes’ turn in Bodyguard got your pulse racing, just wait until her next big drama.
She appears in creepy Sky Original sci-fi series The Midwich Cuckoos.
It is set in a sleepy village where nothing ever happens – until one day everyone becomes unconscious and all woman of a child-bearing age wake up pregnant with alien children.
The eight-part drama, which will land on Sky Max today and NOW TV tomorrow, is based on John Wyndham's 1957 novel of the same name.
But Keeley is hoping viewers will see a new spin on the tale.
She said: “I hadn’t read the book, and I still haven’t read the book.
“I didn’t think it would be particularly useful in this instance because we are making something and looking at it in a new way.
“I don’t know if any of the other cast members did.”
Michael: My debt to Daley
SWIMMER Michael Gunning is to start making more TV – just like his good pal Tom Daley.
He makes a big announcement about his future as the first guest on Telly Talks, on Virgin Pride Radio, which is broadcast tonight at 6pm.
During the debut episode of the TV-themed LGBTQ+ show, Jamaican Michael also says he has been inspired on many levels by Team GB’s Tom.
That included feeling confident enough to come out, just as our Olympic diving champ did. Michael says: “Sport was a lonely place but Tom Daley was a massive ally.
“He was the first person to give me the confidence to accept who I was. He came out – and seeing that, it really sparked a conversation.
“I was always very apologetic. He was the person who told me I’m ‘enough’, that I’m worthy of love.”
Jen: I’d kill off Patsy
PATSY Stone and Eddie Monsoon are Jennifer Saunders’ most loved creations – but she would only reboot Absolutely Fabulous if she could kill off the hit show’s main characters.
The comedian and writer revealed she and co-star Joanna Lumley love playing the duo, but Jennifer secretly wants to write some scenes for them at an assisted suicide clinic.
Chatting on the Table Manners podcast, she said: “It’s not so much about wanting to do the characters which we always do, me and Joanna, because we love them so much and they are such fun to do.
“It’s about waiting for there to be a new idea or a different kind of world for them to be in.
“And I just sort of . . . I suppose there could be Ab Fab Dignitas.”
Going down fabulously, I’m sure.
Scoff top dishes
NICK GRIMSHAW, host of The Great Home Transformation on Channel 4, will present a new podcast with TV chef Angela Hartnett, called Dish.
Guests for the first one – Hannah Waddingham and Phil Dunster from Ted Lasso – will scoff top food and drink as they natter.
Lemon is sour at hit show
RUPAUL’s Drag Race UK has been accused of exploiting a drag queen.
Ginny Lemon took part in the 2021 series of the BBC Three show and spoke about her time being non-binary on the programme.
Now she has ranted that producers “used” her emotional experience.
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The queen, who released a single called Burnt Pizza today, said: “After Drag Race, I went into a depressive spiral and creating music was the only way to counteract my misery.
“I felt I had my gender identity story had been publicly exploited, and I was forced into an uncomfortable position of becoming some kind of gender identity ambassador, whilst dealing with my own personal trauma.
CelebAbility is back
IAIN STIRLING’s ITV2 game show CelebAbility will be back this summer for a sixth series.
He’s asked Scarlett Moffatt back as team captain and Marek Larwood as adjudicator as members of the public are pitted against celebs in the hope of winning £2,000 in cash.