Only Fools and Horses star who played Raquel Turner had a 27-year relationship with actor who once played her on-screen son

Tessa Peake-Jones, 67 – who played Raquel Turner – was in a long-term relationship with Douglas Hodge when he joined the cast to play her on-screen son in a flash-forward scene.

She first appeared in the ‘Dates’ Christmas special and despite only being written into one episode became a staple in the series, appearing in episodes from 1988 to 2003.

Tessa’s character was introduced as a potential partner for lead role Del Boy Trotter and the pair ended up marryingand giving birth to his son Damien Trotter.

Various actors played Damien over the years, including Tessa’s then-partner Douglas, now 64, who portrayed him as an adult in a dream sequence in 1996. 

In 1985, the actress married co-star Douglas and they spent 27 years together before splitting in February 2013. 

They have two children, Mollie Rose and Charlie, together.

Confirming the pair’s separation a spokesperson for them issued a statement in 2013. 

It read: ‘I’m able to confirm that Tessa and Douglas separated in the autumn of last year by mutual and amicable agreement and they will continue to raise their two children jointly.’ 

The dream sequence in 1996 he appeared in was the Christmas special called Heroes and Villains.

In the episode, Damien’s uncle Rodney had a nightmare of a dystopian future in which his adult nephew ruled the Western world.

This was Hodge’s only appearance in the series as Damien went back to being a child after the episode.

After Only Fools And Horses Tessa went on to have a successful career as an actress. 

While a series of appearances in British TV shows followed the show, including Holby City, Midsomer Murders and Casualty, it was her appearance in ITV series Grantchester as Mrs Sylvia Maguire, a belligerent housekeeper, that has kept her firmly in the public eye.

The British drama follows an Anglican vicar and former Scots Guards officer who solve crime in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester during the 1950s, with the devoutly religious Sylvia keeping a keen eye on goings-on in the village.

In 2019, she sang Mamma Mia in front of an audience in London’s West End for the ITV programme All Star Musicals.

Meanwhile Damien has since gone on to have a successful career in theatre, winning the Laurence Oliver and Tony awards for his performance in the play La Cage aux Folles.

He has also appeared in several films, most notably Joker, The Report and Red Sparrow.