One of British comedy’s most legendary stars appears to have barely aged a day since he rose to fame as a member of Peckham’s finest, as he enjoyed a night out with a friend in London’s Soho on Tuesday.
The actress, now 64, was beaming as she went out to dinner with a friend, 35 years after her first appearance in the famous sitcom.
Since her role in one of Britain’s most famous comedies, this actress has starred in a variety of dramas and also had a recurring role in EastEnders in 2016.
She has also regularly reflected on her role on the famous show, and even reunited with one of her Loose Women co-stars in 2022.
Have you already guessed who it is?
One of British comedy’s most legendary stars appears to have aged just a day since he rose to fame as a member of Peckham’s finest, as he enjoyed a night out in Soho on Tuesday.
The actress, now 64, was radiant while out for dinner with a friend, 35 years after her first appearance in the famous comedy… can you guess who she is?
That’s right, it’s Only Fools and Horses star Gwyneth Strong.
The star cut a relaxed figure in a floral zip-up jacket and contrast printed skirt as she stepped out for lunch with her friend.
The actress played Rodney’s long-suffering wife Cassandra in the legendary comedy, alongside acting heavyweights David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst.
While Cassandra predominantly endured the money-making schemes of Rodney and his brother Derek ‘Delboy’ Trotter, she also had her fair share of hardships.
In touching scenes, the couple suffered a miscarriage, leading to Rodney being comforted by his brother.
Cassandra and Rodney finally welcomed their first child together in the show’s final episode in 2003.
In 2022, Gwyneth reunited with her former co-star Tessa Peake-Jones, who plays Delboy’s wife Raquel on Loose Women.
During the appearance, Tessa, who continued acting in Grantchester, and Gwyneth revealed that they were originally only going to star in one episode of the show in 1988, but were so popular that they remained part of the cast until the end.
That’s right, it’s Only Fools and Horses star Gwyneth Strong, who played Rodney Trotter’s wife Cassandra on the legendary show.
The star cut a relaxed figure in a floral zip-up jacket and contrast printed skirt as she stepped out for lunch with her friend.
In the interview, Tessa, who finally tamed wheeler-dealer Del Boy, revealed that Loose Women was filmed in the same studio where they recorded the show in its later years.
She said: “The last time we were here was 20 years ago,” the actress admitted. ‘Twenty years ago, she was pacing back and forth worrying about when the warm-up would start.
‘Will the public like us? We will be fine? Will we remember our lines? That was all here in the ITV studio.
Only Fools and Horses first hit screens in 1981 and centered on Peckham-based brothers Del Boy and Rodney Trotter on their quest to become millionaires through dodgy deals and hilarious schemes.
The series received numerous awards, including recognition from the BAFTA, the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society, as well as individual praise for both David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst.
The show ran for seven series and 16 Christmas specials until 2003, with the final episode of series seven attracting a record audience for a British comedy of 24.3 million viewers.
Among its most iconic moments are the Heroes vs. Villains episode in which Del Boy and Rodney dressed up as Batman and Robin, and the moment the brothers finally became millionaires after discovering a rare watch.
Despite starring on the show together for many years, Tessa and Gwyneth revealed that they never filmed a scene together alone.
Gwyneth told the panel: “We spent our lives talking to each other because we became friends so quickly.”
“It feels like we worked together, but only in group scenes, so we were never really alone as that wasn’t the thrust of the story. “It was about being his partners, I think we talked on the phone in a few episodes.” .
Gwyneth added that when they first joined the Only Fools cast, they had no idea their characters would become so popular.
Cassandra made her first appearance in Peckham in 1989 as Rodney’s love interest, and the couple eventually married and became parents, while Tessa’s character Raquel joined the cast in 1988.
“We never saw it coming, and when we looked at it, we didn’t see it being for a whole series,” Gwyneth told the panel.
“We were both booked for an episode, it was all a bit last minute, so that helped in some ways. We thought it was exciting to do an episode and went from there.”
In 2022, Gwyneth reunited with her former co-star Tessa Peake-Jones, who plays Delboy’s wife Raquel on Loose Women.
Lovely jubbly! Only Fools and Horses first hit screens in 1981 and focused on Peckham-based brothers Del Boy and Rodney Trotter on their quest to become millionaires.
David Jason played iconic wheeler dealer Del Boy Trotter in the series (on the left in the show and the actor on the right in 2024)
Nicholas Lyndhurst (right in 2019) played Del Boy’s brother Rodney (left), always involved in his money-making schemes.
Tessa (right), whose character Raquel (left) eventually tamed wheeler dealer Del Boy, previously revealed she originally signed up for just one episode.
Gwyneth (right), who played Rodney’s wife Cassandra (left), added that she and Tessa never filmed a scene alone together.
Since the show began, star David also played Detective Inspector Jack Frost in the crime drama A Touch of Frost from 1992 to 2010, and earlier in his career had played Granville opposite Ronnie Barker in the comedy Open All Hours.
He reprized his role in the sequel, Still Open All Hours, in 2014, and was knighted in 2005 for services to drama.
Nicholas went on to play Gary Sparrow on the popular show Goodnight Sweetheart, which aired from 1993 to 1999.
He also starred in a prequel to Only Fools and Horses called Rock & Chips, with Inbetweeners actor James Buckley, in 2010, and the BBC detective drama New Tricks as aloof retired Detective Chief Inspector Dan Griffin.
The series also starred Lennard Pearce, who played Del Boy and Rodney’s grandfather until the actor’s death in 1984, and Buster Merryfield later took on the role of Uncle Albert.
Veteran actors Roger Lloyd-Pack and the late John Challis also appeared as Trigger and Boycie respectively.
