The Only Fools and Horses star who was only supposed to be in 1 episode but actually became a main cast member

Only Fools and Horses is undoubtedly one of the most famous British television programmes. Created by John Sullivan, the sitcom was first broadcast in 1981 and follows wheeler-dealer Del Boy and the Trotter family on quests to make quick money.

However, only real fans of the show will know that a permanent cast member was only supposed to be in one episode. Tessa Peake-Jones, who played Raquel Turner, first appeared during the Dates Christmas special which aired in 1988.

Her character was only meant to be a one-off, but she returned a year later and stuck around until the last episode in 2003. So what has Racquel done during the programme, and what storylines was she involved in?

After meeting through a dating agency, the pair didn’t get off on the best of terms after it was revealed Raquel was a stripper. However, following a year apart they bumped into each other again in Margate.

Raquel and Del Boy (David Jason) went on to have a son together, became millionaires, and later lost a fortune. Plus, their relationship was strained after Del Boy’s arch-nemesis Roy Slater was exposed as her husband.