Chesterfield Pomegranate Theatre manager pays tribute to Only Fools and Horses actor John Challis who had 50-year link to town

The 79-year-old actor, who lost his battle with cancer at the weekend, had his first speaking part at the Civic Theatre in 1964 while working with the repertory company.

Seven years ago John returned to the renamed Pomegranate theatre. During his visit he saw a photo of himself in the Bus Stop play and the original programme, both of which were housed in the museum.

Anthony Radford, arts and venues manager at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “John Challis was a superb actor who entertained millions of people with his appearances on television. He was also an accomplished stage actor, and performed regularly at the Pomegranate Theatre in the 1960s. He very kindly agreed to reopen the theatre after a major refurbishment in 2014. He last performed at the theatre in November 2019, when he performed his one-man show “Only Fools and Boycie”. He will be missed by all his fans.”

Best-known for his role as the cigar-chomping dodgy car dealer Boycie in Only Fools and Horses, John shared the TV spotlight with Sir David Jason and Sue Holderness.

Sir David, who played Del Boy in the series, described John as “a gentleman in the true sense of the word.” Sue, who played Boycie’s wife Marlene, paid tribute to her “beloved friend” on Twitter saying: “John Challis was my partner on screen and stage for 36 years. Marlene without Boycie – it’s unthinkable.”