Sir David Jason has opened up about a “terrifying” health battle he endured that left him looking “bruised like a boxer”.
In his new memoir, ‘This Time Next Year’, the Only Fools and Horses star, 84, revealed how he’d had issues with one of his hips, which he said was likely due to his career in the arts.
He explained that it had involved “bouncing off beds and sofas” and diving through hatches. In 2023, he had his left hip replaced with a titanium one, making him feel like he was “becoming Captain Scarlet”.
However, despite this positive outlook, the beloved actor also admitted that he was worried about his upcoming procedure, but it would be the aftermath that left him feeling “uncomfortable”.
Sir David said: “But the operation was, I confess, a pretty terrifying prospect, even though I knew I would be anaesthetised during the worst of it and therefore not around to listen to the hammering and the sawing and whatever else those doctors were going to be getting up to while I sweetly slumbered.”
He continued: “‘Will I be able to play the trombone afterwards?’ I asked the surgeon. ‘Yes, absolutely’, he replied. ‘Well, that’s a bonus’, I said, ‘because I’ve always wanted to be able to’.”
“‘You’ll be uncomfortable for a while’, the surgeon also warned me. He wasn’t kidding.”
Sir David said he felt like the site of an “archaeological excavation” once he came around from the operation and was “bruised like a boxer” and “stitched up like a tapestry”.
However, that wasn’t the end of his ordeal as he then had issues with his sleep because when he turned onto his side, he would end up being in pain and ultimately wake up.
Sir David, who is best known for his legendary performance as Del Boy on the BBC comedy, spoke to Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard about his career during a recent appearance on This Morning.
In a candid admission, he explained that he was proud of how “successful” the show had been, but he had lived in the character’s “shadow” for more than 40 years.
Sir David said he’d changed “an awful lot since” and revealed that he felt frustrated that fans were often “sparked” by his role on Only Fools and not his other performances.
However, he said it was a cross he had to bear but a “lovely one”. Sir David, who also starred in Porridge and A Touch of Frost, went on to say he was “amazed” by the show’s influence.
