Only Fools and Horses: The heartbreaking 'Holding Back the Years' moment at Rodney's wedding

29 January 2024, 11:43

While Only Fools had so many laugh-out-loud moments, what set it apart from many other sitcoms of its era were its episodes that made us cry.

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One such moment was in episode 7 of series 6 'Little Problems', when a certain Simply Red song would perfectly compliment a moving scene.

The episode saw Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) marry Cassandra and finally move out of the flat he shared with brother Del Boy (David Jason) and Uncle Albert.

Derek has promised Rodney £2,000 for his wedding to let him go in on a flat with Cassandra. He also owes about the same amount to the brutal Driscoll Brothers for some mobile phones.

The threat of the Driscolls prompts Boycie to give Del the cash, but instead of paying them off, he takes a punishing beating so he can honour his promise to his brother.

Later at the wedding while chatting to Marlene, Del reveals that the reason he never got married is because none of his girlfriends wanted to care for Rodney.

Soon after, the brothers exchange a hug and a glance as Simply Red's 'Holding Back The Years' plays and we're left holding back the tears.

Seeing Del Boy hold the Rodney wedding cake figure while realising how much time has passed since raising Rodney as a kid, all to the tune of Mick Hucknall's heartbreaking ballad, is a truly fantastic scene.

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In a brilliant twist, the episode ends on a comedic high, as the next day sees Rodney return back to the flat after work, forgetting that he doesn't live there anymore (much to Del Boy's delight).

'Holding Back the Years' was such a powerful moment, the song was used as one of the songs in the hugely popular Only Fools and Horses stage musical.

Holding Back The Years