Only Fools and Horses star had almost 30 year relationship with on-screen child

A cast member of An Only Fools and Horses and their on-screen son from the BBC sitcom had a long-term relationship.

In 1988, Tessa Peake-Jones made her first appearance as Raquel Turner. The character was first mentioned in the Dates special as a potential partner for Derek “Del Boy” Trotter (played by David Jason) and is said to have been a guest star at the beginning of the film. She however became a regular character.

Del Boy and Raquel’s son, Damien Trotter, were born without parents. Various actors played Damien over the years, including Tessa’s then-partner Douglas Hodge, who portrayed him as an adult in a dream sequence in 1996.

As previously reported by the Mirror, in the memorable scene from that episode, Heroes and Villains, Damien’s uncle Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) dreams of a dystopian future where an adult Damien dominates the Western world. Damien dominates Trotters Independent Traders while also swaying over the other characters in the sequence.

When Douglas first joined the cast, he had a long-term relationship with his mother Tessa, who later appeared in films like Black Mirror and Joker. They ended their relationship more than 25 years ago, according to the Express, and the former coworkers now have two children.

According to legend, the former couple allegedly started dating in 1984, either of them having both been cast on Only Fools and Horses. After dating for almost 30 years, Tessa and Douglas are said to have broken up in 2012.

Confirming the pair’s separation, as previously reported, a spokesperson for them issued a statement in 2013. According to the statement, “I can confirm that Tessa and Douglas separated in the autumn of last year through a mutual and friendly agreement and that they will continue to raise their two children together.”

Tessa continued to appear in the beloved TV series despite only making an appearance in the 1996 special Only Fools and Horses. She was in two further specials, including Time on Our Hands, the same year that Heroes and Villains was broadcast.

She then returned for the revival specials, which aired in the early 2000s. Tessa’s final role as Raquel came in the Sleepless in Peckham special, which marked the final episode of the sitcom that aired on the BBC in 1981. According to previous reports, the Trotter siblings’ final episode learned that their late Uncle Albert (Buster Merryfield) had left them each £145, 000 after wisely investing the money they had saved from the Trotter family.

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Source: Mirror