Hello, I'm Krestey Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1994, and the presenter was Sue Lawley. I cast away this Christmas is one of this country's most popular actors.

His father was a fishmonger and his mother a charlady and he himself

worked as an electrician before he thought seriously about acting. He did his

first professional work at Bromley Rep and Summer Seasons and Pantoes before he was spotted for a television

show called Do Not Adjust Your Set. Some success in both radio and television followed, but no great fame,

until in his early 40s the BBC offered him the part of

a cockney wide boy in a new comedy called Only Fools and Horses. Del Boy made him a household name. A decade later he endeared himself to even more millions

as Poplarkin in the darling buds of May. He needs no further introduction from me. He is obviously

David Jason. Recognition was a long time

coming David does it make it all the sweeter? Yes I suppose it does really. The

giddy heights of fame one never really thought that they were to be for me

I was always going to be a jobbing actor a working character actor so when that sort of

fame if you like started to come with

Fool and horses was a little bit of a shock. But it was a rocky path,

wasn't it to the top. Presumably not one you'd recommend.

No, I wouldn't. Because you've got to be monk-like or nun-like. It is a vocation and to me it was a vocation.

It was the only thing that I wanted to do was to be on that stage and entertain people.

But it's a great success story which I want to go into in detail with you, but it's Christmas.

You're here, you've arrived.

Tell me about Christmas days you've known.

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