Only Fools and Horses

All of the Only Fools and Horses actors who went on to star in EastEnders

Some legendary actors form the BBC sitcom showed up in Walford many years later

The 1980s era of British television will go down in history as one of the best.

It was the decade that the BBC produced two of the most legendary shows, Only Fools and Horses and EastEnders.

Fast forward to present-day and dedicated viewers tune in to watch the BBC One soap four times a week whilst Only Fools fans re-watch classic episodes over and over again.

Only Fools and Horses aired on the BBC between 1981 and 2003 and is the most popular sitcom ever.

EastEnders first broadcast in 1985 and has held a strong audience over the decades as soap fans follow the latest drama from Walford.

So let’s take a look at Only Fools and Horses actors who went to star in EastEnders.

Gerry Cowper

Gerry Cowper as Lisa in Only Fools and Horses and as Rosie Miller in EastEnders (Image: BBC)

Actor Gerry Cowper starred in two very famous episodes of Only Fools and Horses.

She played Lisa, Trigger’s niece, in the Tea for Three episode (1986) and again in the 1987 Christmas special The Frog’s Legacy.

In Tea for Three, Del Boy and Rodney Trotter find themselves battling for the affections of Trigger’s niece.

In an attempt to woo her over, the brothers invite their love interest over for tea, but Rodney is already red-faced before she even arrives!

To avenge Del Boy for his embarrassing antics, Rodney encourages him to take part in hang gliding over the countryside which doesn’t end well!

In The Frog’s Legacy, Gerry is seen again as Lisa at the beginning of the episode.

Peckham’s favorite wheeler-dealer Del and brother Rodney discover they are entitled to inherit a lot of money after bumping into an old family friend at Lisa’s wedding in Hampshire, of course, this potential wealth never transpires!

EastEnders fans will know Gerry, now 63, as Rosie Miller in the BBC One soap.

Tarnished as a rowdy and unruly family, the Millers received anything but a warm welcome to Albert Square when they arrived in the early 2000s.

Especially as 13-year-old Demi was already pregnant, to the absolute disgust of Pauline Fowler.

Gerry played the Miller family matriarch in EastEnders between 2004 and 2006.

Sue Holderness

Sue Holderness as Marlene Boyce in Only Fools and Horses and as Estelle in EastEnders (Image: BBC)

Sue Holderness needs no introduction when it comes to her role in Only Fools and Horses.

She played Marlene, the wife of car dealer Boycie (John Challis), who pride themselves on being the self-certified ‘yuppy’ couple amongst their Peckham friends.

The 72-year-old first arrived in the sitcom back in 1985 in the Sleeping Dogs Lie episode and was a regular right up until the final episode, Sleepless in Peckham, in 2003.

She also starred in the spin-off series The Green Green Grass alongside Challis which follows the Boyce family as they set up home in Shropshire.

In April, television star Sue made her EastEnders debut as talent agent Estelle Jones.

After a potential romance with Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) capsized, Estelle disappeared after only a few episodes, which, let’s be honest, is a shame as she was a brilliant addition to the soap.

Nabil Elouahabi

Nabil Elouahabi as Rashid Mamoon, aka Gary, Only Fools and Horses and a general snap of the actor who also appeared in EastEnders (Image: BBC/Getty)

Strangers on the Shore was the 2002 Christmas special of Only Fools and Horses that follows Del Boy (David Jason) after he’s lost his fortune due to the collapse of the Central American market.

With the help of Denzil (Paul Barber) and Trigger (Roger Lloyd Pack) the Trotters do an illegal beer run to France only to find a stowaway when they return to Peckham.

They nickname the ‘illegal immigrant’ Gary, played by Nabil Elouahabi, who turns out to be the son of an Iranian businessman and is actually called Rashid Mamoon.

The police are searching for the “Gary Gang” after ‘Gary’ was trapped in the Denzil’s lorry whilst filling it up with booze.

For Only Fools fans, it may be hard to think of British-Moroccan actor Nabil Elouhabi as anyone other than Gary.

However, the 46-year-old played the role of Tariq Louasi in EastEnders between 2003 and 2005.

Tariq was part of the Ferreira family and was something of a tearaway who left home at 15 thinking he was better off without his parents.

The actor has gone to star in many other TV shows and films.

Gwyneth Strong

Gwyneth Strong as Cassandra Trotter in Only Fools and Horses and as Geraldine Clough in EastEnders (Image: BBC)

This is not a drill, Only Fools icon Gwyneth Strong has been in EastEnders!

Television star Gwyneth is well known for playing the part of Cassandra Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.

From 1989 until the final episode of the BBC sitcom in 2003, Gwyneth portrayed the wife to Rodney Trotter and the long-suffering sister-in-law to Del Boy, au contraire!

Cassandra is sensible, clever and a rather boujee addition to the Trotter clan and is completely spoiled by her businessman dad, Alan, who sees her as the apple of his eye.

In Rodney and Cassandra’s romance, opposites did really attract!

Gwyneth, 61, has racked up a long list of television credits during her acting career including parts in EastEnders, Casualty, New Tricks, Doctors, and many more.

In 2016, Gwyneth rocked up to Albert Square as Geraldine Clough, the leader of a female darts team from The Feathers pub.

She cheated in a darts tournament against Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and her Queen Vic tribe.

No nonsense Geraldine stayed in and around Walford for two months with her last appearance on November 29, 2016.

Steven Woodcock

Steven Woodcock as Jevon in Only Fools and Horses and as Clyde Tavernier in EastEnders (Image: BBC)

Steven Woodcock starred as a minor character in Only Fools and Horses playing Jevon, a pal of Rodney Trotter and sidekick to Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray).

They always liked to tease Rodney and infamously (and unknowingly) set him up with his future wife in the episode ‘Yuppy Love’.

In total Jevon appeared in five episodes of the BBC sitcom, and was last seen in the infamous Jolly Boys’ Outing Christmas special in 1989.

Older fans of EastEnders will also remember actor Steven Woodcock as Clyde Tavernier.

He was first introduced to the soap in 1990 and featured in a lot of key episodes until 1993 when he was then written out.

Clyde was always a victim of race-related incidents by the police and was vilified as the prime suspect for a series of thefts that took place at the Queen Vic Pub.

He was cleared later of responsibility for these incidents, but the way he was treated stoked up a lot of resentment inside Clyde.

Clyde faces many ups and downs in his life, but he is given a happy send-off as he moves from Walford to Trinidad in 1993.

John Bardon

John Bardon alongside David Jason in Only Fools and Horses and as Jim Branning in EastEnders (Image: BBC)

The Longest Night (1986) episode of Only Fools sees a shopping trip go wrong for the Trotters who get caught up in an armed robbery.

As Del Boy, Rodney and their Uncle Albert (Buster Merryfield) leave the grocery store a security officer demands they go back into the manager’s office.

Assuming they have won a £1k prize for being the supermarket’s millionth customer they are shocked to be accused of shoplifting.

A thief then joins the Trotters and demands the store manager opens the safe and passes over the money, except they have 14 hours to wait.

Actor John Bardon played the part of Tom Clark, the head security officer, in this Only Fools episode, and was his only appearance in the sitcom.

Amongst many other TV shows, John Bardon played a regular part in EastEnders as legend Jim Branning.

Jim was the father to Derek, Max and Jack Branning, and found love later in life with Dot Cotton.

He first appeared in the BBC soap in 1996 and remained in the show in 2011.

Bardon sadly died in 2014

Jill Baker

Jill Baker as Pauline Harris in Only Fools and Horses and as Margot Summerhayes in EastEnders (Image: BBC)

The Second Time Around episode of Only Fools kicks off when Del Trotter is surprised to see one of his old girlfriends back in Peckham after 12 years.

His ex-fiancée Pauline Harris wastes no time in getting back underneath his skin as she kisses him over the table in The Nags Head, how romantic!

After going back out of a date Del Boy returns to Nelson Mandela House and announces he’s going to marry Pauline, to the shock of Grandad (Lennard Pearce) and Rodney who is convinced she’s a gold digger and killer after she admitted her last two husbands are dead.

Pauline moves into the Trotter’s flat and becomes a tyrant but, after some convincing from Trigger, the Trotters do a runner from the penny pincher and head to Clacton.

The role of Pauline Harris was played by renowned actor Jill Baker.

The 69-year-old has starred in a long list of TV series including Casualty, Happy Valley, Holby City, Midsomer Murders, A Touch of Frost, and The Bill.

Between 2014 and 2015 the TV star played Margot Summerhayes, the mother of DC Emma Summerhayes, in EastEnders who was dating Max Branning.

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