Sir David Jason has opened up about a heartfelt gift he received from his late friend and mentor, Sir Ronnie Barker, who died in 2005 at the age of 76. The Only Fools and Horses star, 84, shared his memories of their bond, which began in 1969 and spanned several decades, during an appearance on The Chris Moyles Show.
The two comedy legends first worked together on The Odd Job, and later starred opposite each other in hit shows like Porridge, Seven of One, and most famously, Open All Hours. Jason attributes much of his success to Barker, whom he affectionately referred to as “The Governor”.
Jason revealed that after Barker retired, he was given a unique and meaningful gift. Reflecting on their friendship, Jason explained: “Well, it’s a well-known fact that I used to call him The Governor. And he was.
“What was really good about Ronnie Barker, and why he was so lovely – he and I became very good friends during Open All Hours – but the main reason why I liked him so much is that he had time for everybody.”
He went on to describe the touching gesture: “He was the nicest guy that you could possibly meet, and he was at the top of his tree, for me, which is comedy acting, and I just got used to calling him The Governor.
And so, because of that, later on when he retired, he wrote me a certificate, if you like, in wonderful old-fashioned writing. And it’s all done, and it’s about a foot wide by about two foot long.”
He added that his pal bestowed the special title on him and he hangs it in a very special place.
“It’s all done here, here by Sir Ronnie Barker, here with under following messages will give to his honourable friend, Sir David Jason, the title of The Governor I shall now relinquish.’”
Jason shared that the treasured certificate is now proudly displayed in his downstairs toilet.
He also praised Barker’s generosity, stating: “But the great thing about Ronnie B was, which I learned, he was so generous with the whole team.
He knew that the only way you can get a successful show is to incorporate and encourage the team that you have. So, he had time for everybody, and he was generous of spirit and of time.”
However, Jason didn’t shy away from contrasting Barker’s attitude with that of some other celebrities: “Because you do hear – no names, no pack drill – mainly some of the big names coming out of Hollywood who can be extremely difficult and a pain.”