David Jason fired from his role in Dad's Army after making ridiculous BBC claim | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

Due to a strong allegation by the BBC, David Jason was fired from his role in “Dad's Army” just three hours after filming began.

Although he later rose to fame with Only Fools and Horses, the 84-year-old sitcom star's career has not been smooth sailing. Before his breakthrough, Jason had minor roles in shows such as Mother Goose and Doctor at Large. He later landed a role in Dad's Army after auditioning for the role of Lance Corporal Jones, but his tenure was ended prematurely due to the BBC's unexpected decision.

Although the show's producers, Jimmy Perry and David Croft, were impressed by Jason's acting abilities and believed he could convincingly play an older character, BBC executive Bill Cotton overrode them and chose Clive Dunn for the role instead.

David admitted: “I was cast at 12 o'clock and fired at three.” Jason also missed out on the role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em in 1973 because BBC executives felt he did not have the “star qualities.”

Nevertheless, Jason celebrated the greatest success of his career with the role of Del Boy in “Only Fools and Horses”, following earlier successes in “Open All Hours” and “Porridge” alongside Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale.

Before Sir David Jason made his name on screen, some may be surprised to learn that he worked as an electrician – a profession far removed from acting. Of his early career, the star said: “When I first started working, I was an apprentice electrician.”

“When you train for any trade, you have to absorb all sorts of characteristics – you meet people who are bricklayers, plasterers, pipe benders, plumbers. And if you're interested in making things, it leaves its mark.

“You start to get interested in how a plumber bends a piece of pipe, and that's still something I'm interested in. I still love bending pipes.”

Jason revealed that he got his role in Open All Hours after developing a close relationship with co-star Ronnie Barker on set. He admitted: “The reason I got to work with Ronnie on Open All Hours was because of the small roles I had played in his other shows.”

“He played this wonderful, bumbling character and I played this hundred-year-old gardener. It was just about working with him and understanding how he goes about things.”