Only Fools and Horses legend reveals why part of nostalgic new documentary for classic comedy was “torture”

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Tessa Peake-Jones, best known for her role in ‘Only Fools and Horses,’ said revisiting memories for a new documentary about the show was sometimes painful, but she believes audiences will really love it.

The actor famous for playing Raquel in the beloved British comedy Only Fools and Horses is joining other original cast members for a special celebrating the show’s 45th anniversary. This celebration, called Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive, looks back at the series since it first aired.

This special edition offers fans an exclusive look behind the scenes, featuring newly found photos and previously cut scenes. All footage has been digitally remastered from the original 16mm film.

Peake-Jones believes viewers will love the program, especially because it features footage that no one – not even the production team – has ever seen before, as she explained on The One Show.

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Nevertheless, she also found looking back to be “really weird” and not always enjoyable.

Peake-Jones explained that the events happened a long time ago – not just a few years, but decades. They were all in their thirties, forties, or fifties at the time, which made the situation feel particularly strange.

Honestly, I really avoid watching anything I appear in – I just can’t stand seeing myself on screen! So having to sit through footage of myself from 30 years ago was genuinely painful. It was such a strange, unsettling experience, like looking at a completely different person.

I just saw a sneak peek of the new documentary series, and it looks fantastic! You can check it out for yourself – I’ve included a link below, or you can find it on the British Comedy Guide.

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Besides Peake-Jones, “The Lost Archives” includes interviews with the actors who played iconic “Only Fools and Horses” characters: Sir David Jason (Del Boy), Gwyneth Strong (Cassandra), Sue Holderness (Marlene Boyce), Steven Woodcock (Jevon), and Denis Lill (Alan Parry).

She told hosts of The One Show that her former co-star, Sir Jason, was really moved by everything and said it brought back a lot of good memories.

As a lifelong fan of ‘Only Fools and Horses’, I was thrilled to hear about the new documentary. Sir David Jason himself said it best – the show’s popularity hasn’t waned at all. It’s amazing to see how much it still means to people, even after all these years.

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Looking back at these old memories really highlighted how wonderful the show was, and continues to be. I’m thrilled to finally be able to share them with everyone.

Director Sean Doherty explained that the archive team has discovered a wealth of previously unseen footage – including 66 clips and scenes that were filmed but never aired due to timing or structural issues with the original episodes. They’ve also found almost 100 additional pieces of footage from raw filming and location shoots, giving them a fantastic amount of material to work with!

Only Fools and Horses is available to stream on ITVX. The Lost Archive is coming soon to U&GOLD.

Don’t miss out on Only Fools and Horses! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV and streaming drama and comedy for TopMob. Before that, he contributed to Starburst Magazine, hosted the Winter King Podcast on ITVX, and earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-02-20 18:04