Sir David Jason sacked by the BBC just hours after landing iconic role

Sir David Jason, the beloved Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses, didn't always ride high in his acting career.

The 84 year old star faced a major setback when he was axed from Dad's Army just hours after filming began, following a bold move by the BBC.

Despite nailing the audition for Lance Corporal Jones and impressing show creators Jimmy Perry and David Croft with his knack for playing older characters, BBC boss Bill Cotton's decision saw him replaced by Clive Dunn.

Reflecting on the abrupt change, David recounted: "I was cast at 12 o'clock and sacked by three." Adding to his challenges, Sir David also missed out on becoming Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, with BBC chiefs questioning his "star quality."

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However, Sir David's career took off spectacularly as he landed the role of Del Boy, following earlier successes in Open All Hours and Porridge alongside greats like Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale, reports Leicestershire Live.

Before his rise to stardom, few might know that Sir David started out as an electrician, a job quite removed from the glitz of showbiz. The esteemed actor shared: "When I first started work I was an apprentice electrician."

"When you are an apprentice to any trade, you have to absorb all sorts of traits you're bumping into people who are bricklayers, plasterers, pipe benders, plumbers. And if you're interested in making things, it leaves its mark. You get interested in how a plumber bends a piece of pipe, and that sort of thing is still with me, I still love bending pipes."

He also revealed how he bagged his role in Open All Hours after forming a close bond with co-star Ronnie Barker on set. Sir David said: "The reason I got to work with Ronnie on Open All Hours was because of the little bits that I had done in his other series."

"He played this wonderful, bumbling character, and I was playing this hundred-year-old gardener. It was just working with him and understanding how he approached things."

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