One star turned his back on fame for a very different career. The iconic sitcom focused on the antics of Del Boy Trotter and his brother Rodney as they tried to host of different schemes to get rich quick. Fans across the UK and the world fell in love with the show, with the peak of its viewership coming in 1996 - where nearly 17 million people watched the special.
Alongside this, the show helped to launch the careers of many of its stars including Nicolas Lyndhurst and , who was known for a slew of his previous roles. But for one star of the show, the life of fame and fortune was not something he cared for. Daniel Peacock has now spoken out about his time on the show and how he decided to leave the spotlight to find something more fulfilling.
Peacock starred as loveable Mental Mickey during one iconic episode of Only Fools back in 1985. As well as this, Daniel had other acting credits in other successful shows including Birds of a Feather, One Foot in the Grave and the original run of Doctor Who. But before he made it big on the screen, the actor got a taste for helping those in need when he worked in the lifestyles team at a local care home.
After that, TV fame took over, but after a small stint on the silver screen, Daniel decided to go for the quieter life and decided to leave the TV world behind him for good. Things also were not helped when father Trevor - best known for playing Jim Trott in The Vicar of Dibley - was diagnosed with dementia, leading Daniel to take on caring duties. But after realising the joy caring brought him whilst looking after his ailing father, Daniel has taken his caring profession to a new level.
After penning the second series of his UKTV comedy Marley's Ghosts, finding himself with some pare time - Daniel applied for his new role working in a care home. Speaking to MyLondon about his move away from the spotlight, Daniel explained: "I bought a caravan in Kent as I thought I really wanted to get some solitude and I’ve always loved holiday parks. So there I am in my caravan writing every now and then, enjoying no pressure and stress.
"I started watching TV programs I’ve never watched before in my life, not the greatest but they were on TV. Then my son Charlie said 'Dad you’re watching way too much television' and suggested I get a job." Daniel admitted that after being away from the working world, he was not sure what kind of jobs could he do, but son Charlie pulled through and managed to get him a post at Hastings Court nursing home.
While Daniel continues to work in TV, this has been hugely reduced, as he focuses his attention to the residents of the care home he works at. "A lot of the residents have lived history, during and at the end of the war so you bond with people here," Daniel added. "My dad died of that horrible disease but working here has made me a better person.
".
