The 8 iconic Only Fools and Horses actors who look unrecognisable in EastEnders including Cassandra and Damien actors

The 1980s era of British television will go down in history as one of the best as the BBC produced two of the most legendary shows, and they are both based in London.

In September 1981, Only Fools and Horses launched on TV screens and the Trotter family was officially born. EastEnders arrived nearly four years later in February 1985 and is still going strong.

Back then there were only four TV channels including BBC One, BBC2, ITV, and Channel 4 so a new sitcom and soap opera was a huge deal, and both have stood the test of time.

Fast forward to 2023 and dedicated viewers tune in to watch EastEnders 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. So let’s take a look at Only Fools and Horses actors who went to star in EastEnders.

Gerry Cowper

Actress Gerry Cowper played Lisa, Trigger’s niece, in two very famous episodes of Only Fools and Horses, including Tea for Three in 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.

EastEnders fans will know Gerry, now 64, 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 needs no introduction when it comes to her role in Only Fools and Horses, as “all the lads remember Marlene!”.

The 73-year-old first arrived in the sitcom as Marlene Boyce, the wife of yuppie Boycie (John Challis), back in 1985 during the Sleeping Dogs Lie episode.

She stayed on the show 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 a home in Shropshire.

In April 2021, 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

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.

For Only Fools fans, it may be hard to think of British-Moroccan actor Nabil Elouhabi as anyone other than Gary. However, the 48-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.

Gwyneth Strong

This is not a drill, Only Fools icon Gwyneth Strong has been in EastEnders! The 63-year-old is famed for playing the part of Cassandra Trotter in Only Fools and Horses from 1989 until 2003.

Cassandra is sensible, clever, and a rather boujee addition to the Trotter clan who is completely spoiled by her businessman dad, Alan. In Rodney and Cassandra’s relationship, opposites did really attract!

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 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 built 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.

Ben Smith

In 2001, Only Fools and Horses made an epic comeback after five years for three legendary Christmas specials. Actor Ben Smith took on the role of Damien Trotter in the episodes that followed the Trotters after they became millionaires.

Damien, the devil child, is a chip off the old block and the apple of his parents, Del Boy and Raquel’s, eye – but he’s the Omen according to his uncle Rodney.

Ben Smith, 33, made his EastEnders appearance in 2008 as Tegs Teague who was the leader of a gang called “the E20”. The gang stole from the market, harassed Dot Branning, and tried to verbally abuse Shirley Carter.

During four episodes Tegs wreaked havoc in Albert Square and eventually stabbed Jay Brown before getting arrested. He was a right git, as Del Boy would say!

John Bardon

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 as a thief conducts a bodged ‘robbery’.

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

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 71-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.