Sir David Jason has claimed he was the mastermind behind Only Fools and Horses’ most famous scene.
Fans of the popular comedy will never forget the iconic moment Del Boy – played by the 77-year-old star – fell through the bar while trying to "play it cool" in front of two stunning ladies in a swanky drinking hole and the legendary actor has admitted it was actually his idea to have the two girls in the shot because it would distract the audience and make the fall even more unexpected, dramatic and comical.
Speaking on ‘This Morning’ on Thursday (07.12.17), David said: "We did it just once. We did it twice but we only used it once but the one that we used is the one that you see.
"What’s interesting about that… is that they’ve included the two girls. Now what’s important about that is that when we were constructing it, that bit is one of those things you learn in the theatre and when we were putting it together, I said to the director: ‘Can we have a couple of girls there?’ And so he said: ‘Why?’ And I said: ‘Because I think if we have a cutaway to the two girls we’re trying to chat up then the audience will go: ‘Oh they’re trying to chat those two girls up’.
"So the mind is over with the girls and you’ve your audience going: ‘What are they going to do with those two girls?’ It’s unexpected, so that helps that moment because the audience’s concentration is with the two girls."
David then tried to show host Phillip Schofield how to do the fall without breaking any bones.
He explained: "It’s the second most important thing – the point of the story – your reaction when you fall over in that way, is you turn your head, your arm would go out and then while you’re doing that, you automatically protect your head but to make it comic, you never look the way you’re going. So you will look at the camera and the bit that’s the most dangerous is about 45 degrees, that’s when everything kicks in."
Phillip managed to pull off the stunt without sustaining any injuries.
Sir David Jason was the mastermind behind OFAH iconic scene
