, the iconic actor known for his role as the endearing Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in , has faced personal loss and alongside his celebrated career. Despite the joy he brought to viewers, he dealt with devastating life events, including the death of his partner to cancer over two decades ago and the recent passing of his co-star, .
The veteran actor opened up about the sorrow of losing John during a September 2021 appearance on , acknowledging that John's health had been declining but it was still a shock. "It was not a complete surprise because poor old John hadn't been well for the last month or two but he went downhill so fast, very rapidly, that one minute we were thinking he was on the road to recovery."
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During the same conversation, Sir David touched upon reaching his own advanced age with a mix of realism and humour. He said: "Turning 80 was all right." and added: "One minute you're 35 and the next you're 80."
Although confronting the march of time, Jason felt fortunate that hes remained relatively healthy, gratefully commenting: "You're so busy getting on with life and I'm lucky that everything's still in good working condition," reports .
Recently, the iconic actor revealed an update on his health, speaking of the leg problems he's been facing since undergoing a surgical procedure for a new titanium hip last October. Full of appreciation for modern medicine, Jason told Woman's Weekly: "My god, aren't we lucky that we can do that? If we weren't living in the time when these operations are normal every day, you would be crippled."
The actor also opened up to the Sunday Times about his health, revealing that he's been grappling with memory issues. "My memory isn't what it used to be... Most of us reach this point when things aren't quite as bright as they used to be," he shared.
also touched on the heartache of losing his partner of 18 years, Myfanwy Talog, to breast cancer in 1995. In his autobiography : My Life, he writes about being "numb with grief" during that harrowing period.
He detailed the emotional struggle they endured, recounting: "You can imagine: tears. It was terrible. She had a specialist who said she should have an operation to remove her breast because radiotherapy wasn't going to shrink the cancer on its own."
Jason spoke candidly about the ordeal, and said: "That was so hard for her to take. Neither of us had known anything like this in our lives before. It was a whole new reality to get used to. It was a very stressful time, a terrible, difficult emotional time."
After Myfanwy's death, David found love again with Gill Hinchcliffe, who is 20 years his junior. The couple, who prefer to keep their personal life out of the spotlight, celebrated the birth of their daughter Sophie in 2001 and tied the knot in 2005, just a day before David was honoured with an OBE for his contributions to acting and comedy.
Sir David previously shared with The Guardian the story of his wedding day, saying: "Gill and I were married at the Dorchester Hotel in 2005 on the eve of my knighthood."
He jokingly added: "It was the happiest time. Next morning, I arose a married man and went straight off to become a bachelor. Or, at any rate, a knight bachelor. Amazing. A married man, a Sir, and all inside 24 blissful hours."
However, his life took an unexpected turn in March 2023, when a paternity test revealed he had a 52 year old daughter named Abi, whose mother is actress Jennifer Hill, known for her role in the James Bond film Octopussy. David and Jennifer had a brief romance, resulting in Abi's birth in 1970.
In an interview with The , David expressed his surprise at discovering he had a daughter from years ago, stating: "To say it was a surprise to find out I had a daughter from years ago is an understatement."
Despite the initial shock, David is thrilled to be getting to know Abi, meeting up with her whenever possible. He also credits his wife, Gill, and daughter, Sophie, for being supportive and understanding, warmly embracing Abi and her young son into their now extended family.
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