David Beckham to appear in Only Fools And Horses sketch
March 2014 update: David Beckham talks about filming the sketch. Read
David Beckham is to appear alongside David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst in a new Only Fools And Horses scene for Sport Relief.
The ex-England footballer and internationally famous fashion icon will be seen joining Del Boy and Rodney in a greasy spoon café in Peckham. The sketch will reportedly see market trader Del marking his 65th birthday.
News that there was to be a new Only Fools And Horses sketch was first revealed at the start of the month. It generated much excitement from fans, as the popular show - voted Britain's favourite sitcom in a major 2004 poll - has been off screen for a number of years.
The last time the characters were seen was in final episode Sleepless In Peckham, which premiered on Christmas Day 2003 to 16.4 million viewers.
John Sullivan, the highly celebrated writer and creator of the series, died from viral pneumonia in 2011. The new sketch has been written by his sons, Jim Sullivan and Dan Sullivan, based on notes he left behind. The brothers have stressed that, contrary to speculation, they will not be bringing the show back for a series following this sketch.
Jim Sullivan says: "Since Dad passed away back in April 2011 we have been asked a few times whether we'd be interested in writing any new material for Only Fools and we have always said no, our intention being to protect the work and not to attempt adding to it.
"However, Sport Relief being such a worthy cause, and with the opportunity to help raise a lot of money, we felt things were different this time, and we also knew that Dad would approve.
"So we put together a sketch, incorporating some of Dad's old notes - bits of dialogue for the show that he never found a place for - and, thankfully, the response was positive and everyone got behind it.
"Working on the sketch has been a lot of fun, but also quite daunting. The characters are so well loved, but we do feel we know and care for them enough to give them back their voices just this once.
"And we would like to make it clear that it is just this once, and that we are not, and never have been, looking to write any new episodes. There was only ever one writer of Only Fools And Horses, and it is going to stay that way."
It was initially hoped that Roger Lloyd Pack, who played Trigger in the sitcom (pictured left with the other main characters), would appear in the sketch. A BBC spokesperson told The Mirror last week: "We had hoped to include Roger in the sketch but unfortunately he had to pull out because of his illness." The sitcom star passed away last Wednesday.
David Beckham is known to be a long-time fan of the wheeler-dealer comedy, as Jim Sullivan confirms: "David Beckham got in touch back in September last year saying he is a big fan of Only Fools and wondering if there was a possibility of doing something together for Sport Relief 2014."
The sketch has now been filmed and will be broadcast on BBC One on the 21st March 2014 as part of Sport Relief night, the charity telethon which has spun-off from Comic Relief.
Comic Relief chief executive Kevin Cahill says: "Only Fools And Horses is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. It's incredible that those involved with the show since the very beginning have come together for this Sport Relief special and we're especially touched that Jim and Dan Sullivan wrote the sketch together using some of their dad John's old notes.
"To be able to record a new Only Fools And Horses sketch is in itself very special but for David Beckham, who is a huge fan of the show, to be part of this is truly brilliant. We would like to thank everyone involved for helping to make this happen."
This will not be the first time Beckham has taken part in Sport Relief. In 2012 he filmed a comedy sketch with James Corden:
This year's Sport Relief telethon will be broadcast on Friday 21st March 2014. The TV coverage will come live from the Olympic Park, with presenters including Jack Whitehall, Gary Lineker, Gaby Logan, Claudia Winkleman and Clare Balding.