It's been revealed that Sir David Jason slips back into playing Del Boy, his famous Only Fools And Horses character, in a forthcoming episode of motoring show Car S.O.S.

The actor helps hosts Tim Shaw and Fuzz Townshend on the restoration of a Datsun 240k Skyline in the National Geographic TV format.

Shaw told The Daily Star: "David was a special guest on an episode and I managed to persuade him to do Del Boy again. It's a sketch that I think will surprise people.

"It was one of the highlights of my life. It's something I never thought would happen. When was the last time we saw David playing Del Boy? I can't remember. So it was absolutely surreal."

Across seven series and a number of specials, Only Fools And Horses ran on the BBC from 1981 to 2003. However, Del Boy and Rodney did briefly return to television again in 2014 for a special one-off mini episode in aid of Sport Relief featuring guest star David Beckham.

Elaborating further how the Car S.O.S appearance occurred, Shaw explains: "I told David I had an idea for a sketch and he said, 'Oh, you want some lovely jubbly... go on then, let's give it a pop'.

"He dropped straight into it. The next thing he's Del Boy and he's reading a newspaper and he's selling some car parts on eBay."
Townshend added: "The car [the Datsun Skyline] was perfect for him because if you leaned against the roof, you fell straight into it. It was a bit like David's famous sketch where he fell through the bar."

Shaw concluded: "David was an absolute pro. He is as sharp as a razor with wits in every sense of the word."

Car S.O.S is due to return to National Geographic on Thursdays at 8pm, from 7th March. David Jason appears in the second episode of the series, airing on 14th March 2024.