Many famous faces from all walks of life have made an appearance on Only Fools and Horses, a show that continues to be a cult classic even today.
Game of Thrones actor Jim Broadbent has appeared in the show, as well as successful entrepreneur Richard Branson.
Silver screen icon and Carry On star Joan Sims even made a cameo on the sitcom alongside legends David Jason (Del Boy) and Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodney), appearing in the Only Fools and Horse Christmas Special in 1987.
The special episode was called the Frog’s Legacy and was the sixth Christmas special of the BBC sitcom. In the episode the Trotters search for the hidden gold legacy of Freddie ‘The Frog” Robdal, an old friend of their mother’s. Joan Sims was cast as Trigger’s Aunt Reenie Turpin.
Having starred in a total of 24 Carry On films Joan Sims, who passed away aged 71 in 2001, no doubt had some great tales from her time on the silver screen.
In her personal life Joan never married, however she lived for three years with fellow actor Tony Baird in a relationship her parents strongly condemned.
However, the Only Fools star did have one marriage proposal from her Carry On co-star, Kenneth Williams.
Kenneth, who was gay and also never married, is said to have proposed a ‘marriage of convenience’ to Joan, which she quickly declined. Some reports suggest Kenneth proposed this marriage for the sake of companionship, as Sims battled with depression and unhappiness for much of her life.
She was raised by an emotionally abusive mother and struggled to form stable relationships with men her whole life. Despite her playful character and beaming smile on the television screen, Joan’s life had quite a tragic ending, which perhaps Kenneth could have helped with if she had taken up his proposal of companionship.
Joan spiralled into severe alcoholism in her later years, falling into a coma in 2000 and passing away the following summer after briefly regaining consciousness.
