Only Fools and Horses is a surprise smash hit in Serbia as John Challis reveals unlikely fandom

Only Fools and Horses actor John Challis, 78, on his fame in Serbia, standing up The Beatles and how Boycie changed his life.

How has the past year been?

I’m hanging in there. The dates for my one-man show got cancelled but I’ve been quite busy, luckily.

I’m in the middle of doing a pilot for a new comedy series and I’ve been doing voiceovers and voicemail messages for people desperate to get a message from Boycie if it’s their birthday, anniversary or something.

I think a lot of people just want to be cheered up.

When did you film your new documentary, Boycie In Belgrade?

In February of last year before all the horror started. It’s an idea I had while I was doing my one-man show.

I was sitting signing something when a TV crew turned up from Serbia. I said they must be joking! But they weren’t.

I knew Only Fools And Horses was doing OK in that part of the world because occasionally I get a fourpence-halfpenny royalty when the BBC sold it to a Serbian TV company.

They said, ‘You must come on our popular chat show in Belgrade!’ So I did and it was an extraordinary experience. I was being stopped in the street.

My producer is a Montenegrin and said, ‘Why don’t we go and do a documentary there?’ We went out for 10 days and met all sorts of people.

A whole variety?

From all parts of society.

There I was, in one of the royal palaces — the royal family wasn’t there at the time but apparently they’re big fans of the show. And we had a tea party at the British Embassy.

I went to their big football club, Red Star Belgrade, met the pastor of the Saint Sava temple and I learned how to drink their wonderful brandy.

And they all absolutely love the show. There are murals of David Jason and others all over the place.

It’s very educational…

I met another guy who had the biggest and best collection of old vehicles and there was the little yellow van, which he’d transported all the way from England.

There I am posing with a little yellow van in the middle of Belgrade!

Have we got a similar sense of humour to the Serbs?

I think so. There were lots of ‘lovely jubblies’ and ‘bonnet de douches’ going on, and ‘chuck him on the back seat? He’s the driver — ha ha!’ They love the jokes and the characters.

Can you believe this year is the 40th anniversary since Only Fools started?

No. It’s an extraordinary phenomenon. We started in 1981 and had no idea it was going to go as far as it has. I’ve been asked a lot about rumours of a reunion but I don’t know where they’ve come from.

It’s difficult because there are so many people missing from the original cast including, importantly, John Sullivan, the writer, which was a terrible blow for us back in 2011.

Royal Mail decided to put all our faces on a set of stamps this year, which is a sort of celebration.

Which cast members do you stay in touch with?

Sue Holderness, who played Marlene [Boycie’s wife]. We hit it off immediately. Paul Barber, who played Denzil, is a chum and we ring each other.

David Jason came to his first convention at the beginning of last year and millions turned up. He was delighted and quite surprised.

How did playing Boycie change your life?

I was delighted to do the one scene but nobody said I’d be back in the next series.

It had a bit of a sticky start because not that many people watched it. But there was a strike so the BBC repeated stuff and they put it out again on a different day and time.

The figures shot up so they decided to try a second series and it just got more popular.

How hard is it to find a similarly good role?

It becomes a benchmark. But you’ve got to continue earning a living so you do other stuff, hoping it will take off as well, but nothing has, really.

You see the love everybody has for the show and our next convention is in October in Margate, which was the home for The Jolly Boys’ Outing [the 1989 Christmas Special].

And your one-man show has been rescheduled for August…

Yes, hopefully. I’m looking forward to that. But it’s possible we’ll be doing the play to about a third of the people that usually come.

Do you talk about a brush with The Beatles in your show?

They were looking for somebody for their TV show Magical Mystery Tour and I got the job. But I couldn’t do it because I’d agreed to do something else. Can you imagine the disappointment?

Do you ever go to Peckham?

The last time I was there was for an Only Fools pub opening 100 years ago.

But it’s come up in the world quite a lot so I must go back for a potter around. Not that I remember much of it — we were filming in Bristol most of the time.

Boycie In Belgrade is on DVD and digital from June 14

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