Why did immigrant families like mine see so much of ourselves in Only Fools and Horses?

As part of our 90s comedy week, we look at why the story of a white working-class family was so popular among those who – on the surface – had nothing to relate to.

By Jason Murugesu

Some people might think it strange that I was named after Del Boy Trotter.

Like David Jason’s Del I was raised in Peckham, but unlike him I was the son of Sri Lankan immigrants. How could a show centered around a white British family be so relatable to an immigrant one that they named their firstborn after the lead actor?