BBC bosses snubbed a huge A-list model and actress from landing a major role in the beloved sitcom Only Fools and Horses.
The beloved BBC show follows the wild antics of Del Boy (played by Sir David Jason) and his brother Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) who often got into trouble in the back streets of London.
The pair frequently weaselled their way through numerous dodgy deals in search of the big score that would make them millionaires.
Throughout the show – which hit the airwaves in 1981 – Rodney was always seen as quite the womaniser, but fans may be surprised to learn which Hollywood star was in the running to play his future wife Cassandra Parry.
In the Channel 5 documentary, Only Fools and Horses: Secrets and Scandals, the cast revealed that Liz Hurley once auditioned for the famous part.
In the one-off special, author Mike Jones explained how the Austin Powers bombshell simply didn’t fit the part. He explained: “She auditioned for the role and it was felt that perhaps she was probably a little too glamorous for... how can I say it diplomatically? Our lanky Trotter brother.”
Ultimately, Gwyneth Strong landed the role and made her first appearance as Cassandra in 1989. She continued to play the character on and off, most recently in 2003.
Although Liz didn’t make it to Peckham, she did land a score of other projects throughout her coveted career. The 59-year-old starred in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in the role of Vanessa Kensington.
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Meanwhile, on the small screen, she starred on the E! primetime drama The Royals from 2015 to 2018. Liz’s character, Helena Henstridge, was a fictitious Queen and member of a royal family.
The mum-of-one also portrayed the role of Morgan le Fay in the Marvel Comic series Runaways and Diana Payne in the teen drama Gossip Girl. But this isn’t the only famous face that missed out on a major Only Fools and Horses role.
Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent was an early contender to take on the role of Del Boy. In fact, Sir David Jason believed Jim would have been a “much more plausible” casting as Rodney’s brother due to the film star’s similar height to Nicholas Lyndhurst.
Because Jim was unavailable at the time, he passed up the opportunity to portray Del, as did fellow actor Enn Reitel. However, Reitel later landed a part in the show as Del’s nemesis Roy Slater in three episodes across eight years.
