Sir David Jason says his legacy as Del Boy ‘upsets’ him

'He's on my back all the time'

The 84-year-old is best known for his role as Derek Trotter, a.k.a. Del Boy, in the legendary BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

But it seems that he has some mixed feelings about the role as he looks back on his acting career.

In an interview with BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay, the acting veteran said his "only regret" about Only Fools and Horses was how it had created an enduring presence for him that he compared to be followed by a "ghost."

Jason shared that he identifies with the optimism of Derek Trotter, after Kay said his "sense of positivity" sounds like the character.

The actor responded: "Yeah I'm afraid it does. That Derek Trotter thing, he's a bit of a ghost that comes behind me like a Christmas Carol."

When asked whether he feels "haunted" by the character, Jason continued: "Haunted is perhaps too... no. He's with me all the time, whether you call it haunted or not.

"I do say he's on my back all the time, because wherever I go people recognise me as the character and you always get people who say, 'Lovely jubbly!' and all of that."

“It only upsets me slightly as it seems to be the only thing people remember me for.

"I'm delighted in one way that it's reached so many people and they've enjoyed what I've done with the character, but I've done so many other things that everybody seems to have forgotten about. It's like I've only ever played Derek Trotter."

Jason went on to reveal that his main career regret was that he had never appeared in National Theatre.

You can watch the full interview on BBC iPlayer here.