A long-rumoured piece of Only Fools and Horses history has finally surfaced, with U&Gold revealing Raquel's previously unseen audition scene ahead of the premiere of Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive.
The documentary, which arrives on screens on Tuesday 20 October, includes the clip, shared exclusively with Radio Times, from The Class of '62, one of the sitcom's most fondly remembered episodes.
Originally broadcast in 1991, the episode opens with Del, Rodney and Raquel returning home, where Uncle Albert greets them and asks Raquel how her audition went.
The audition itself was never broadcast and over the years has become a small piece of Only Fools and Horses lore. Fans with access to the original scripts knew the scene had been written, but had always wondered if it had ever been filmed.
But the clip released by U&Gold settles the question. It shows that the scene was indeed filmed, giving fans their first chance to see what happened at Raquel's audition rather than simply hearing about it afterwards.
You can enjoy it at the top of this page.
The episode was originally due to open with Raquel auditioning at a nightclub, with Del and Rodney watching from the audience as she takes to the stage for a rendition of what turns out to be a highly unfortunate choice of song, picked by Del, of course. The scene was ultimately cut from the final broadcast.
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The audition is just one of the discoveries uncovered in Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive, which features previously unseen material from across more than 10 classic episodes, including The Jolly Boys' Outing, Mother Nature's Son, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle and Time on Our Hands.
Alongside the unseen footage, the documentary includes new interviews with Sir David Jason, Tessa Peake-Jones, Gwyneth Strong, Sue Holderness, Steven Woodcock and Denis Lill.
Director Tony Dow and other key figures also revisit their time on the show, react to the rediscovered material and share their memories of the show's creator, John Sullivan.
Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive launches on Tuesday 20 October at 9pm on U&GOLD. It is also available to watch on Sky TV and NOW. You can sign up to NOW from £4.99 a month.
Add Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
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