Tessa Peake-Jones says comedy has become ‘cruel’

Tessa Peake-Jones has said she thinks a lot of comedy these days is ‘cruel’ and thinks Only Fools And Horses endured because it has ‘heart’. 

The show, set in Peckham, south London, followed half-brothers Derek ‘Del Boy’ (David Jason) and Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and their attempts to get ric 

The actress, 68, played Del Boy’s wife Raquel in the BBC sitcom from 1988 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2003.

Speaking to the i newspaper, she said: ‘We still all get letters from teenagers just discovering it. It’s amazing that people are still watching. 

‘But I think that it endures because John’s [Sullivan, the series writer] writing has got so much heart. Some of the comedy today seems to be having a go at other people. It can be quite cruel in a way that I don’t find funny personally.’ 

Elsewhere in the interview, Tessa reflected on becoming single later in life following her divorce from her ex-husband Douglas Hodge in 2013. 

The former couple were married for 29 years and are parents to children Mollie and Charlie. 

Tessa believes many people are afraid of being alone but she has come to appreciate having time to yourself.

She said: ‘In your older years, you also really come to appreciate having some time on your own, for your own thinking and also to just not have to bother about anyone else, not have to compromise.’ 

Tessa previously admitted filming the comedy was anything but a barrel of laughs as she looks back ahead of its 45th anniversary. 

The actress recalled the gruelling rehearsals before battling nerves to perform in front of the studio audience. 

She will soon join her former co-stars in a U&Gold two-part documentary titled Only Fools And Horses: The Lost Archive with new interviews and never before seen clips. 

And while fans have been left in stitches by the show, which debuted in 1981, Tessa confessed: ‘Usually [the actors have] seen it all in rehearsals so many times, it’s not that funny anymore anyway.’ 

When it came to facing the audience, she said comedy icons Sir David Jason, who played Del Boy, and Nicholas Lyndhurst, Rodney, were just as nervous as her.

‘If people had seen us backstage before the show, they’d have seen people pacing up and down the corridors with nerves, including David and Nick.’

Tessa told The Sun: ‘We cared so much, and we wanted to get it right, but one slip-up of a word could ruin that laugh.’   

Previously discussing the new documentary, Sir David, 86, said: ‘The love for Only Fools has never faded. It’s incredible to see how many people still hold it close to their hearts. 

‘Revisiting these rediscovered moments reminded me just how special the show was – and still is. It’s incredible to be able to share them now.’

Only Fools And Horses: The Musical opened in February 2019 and ran for four years. 

The show had been a hit with fans and critics alike, as well as the sitcom’s former stars who attended its premiere and celebratory performances.

Paul Whitehouse co-wrote the show with Jim Sullivan, son of the Only Fools And Horses creator John Sullivan, who always dreamed of taking the show to the West End.