Only Fools and Horses star had specific contract clause that banned one thing

John Challis starred in numerous comedies including Only Fools and Horses and the Vicar of Dibley - but it was another show for which he had an unusual contractual agreement

It has been three years since beloved British actor John Challis passed away, but his wife Carol continues to keep hilarious memories of his career alive on social media.

Not that fans will need reminding of course, as John is famed for his roles as Terrance Aubrey 'Boycie' Boyce in Only Fools and Horses, and Owen Newitt in the Vicar of Dibley to name just two. Carol took to X this week to recount her late husband's trips to Crinkley Bottom - home of Noel Edmonds' 1990s show, Noel's House Party.

The BBC programme, which featured the antics of Mr Blobby, regularly saw contestants drenched in slime in a series of games that included 'The Gunge Tank'. For John, however, this was strictly off limits, as Carol recalls.

"A regular visitor to The Big House at Crinkley Bottom, John was terrified of getting 'gunked', so he had it written into his contract," she wrote. "Under no circumstances."

Carol took over John's X account following his passing, which now has more than 130,000 followers. "It's such a shame that we find out more about people once they've passed. I thank you for keeping Johns memory alive and for everything we are learning about him, he sounds like one special person," one person penned in response.

"I don't blame him, imagine ruining his overcoat," quipped another, referring to typical Boycie attire. A third wrote: "Maybe he should have had a goo... he might have been less scared of it."

John's first television role came in BBC soap opera The Newcomers in 1967, and in the same year he played a thief who stole Ena Sharples' handbag in Coronation Street. He later secured a recurring role in the show as Detective Sergeant Norman Phillips, whom he starred as from 1975 to 1977.

John passed away at the age of 79 in 2021, with his loved ones saying at the time the actor died "peacefully in his sleep, after a long battle with cancer", and asking that donations in his memory be made to his chosen animal charities Cuan Wildlife Rescue, Tusk or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

A year on from his death, it was reported that the icon's will revealed his wishes for his assets and money to be gifted to fourth wife, Carol, who he tied the knot with in 1995. John was previously married to first wife Carol Robertson and actresses Debbie Arnold and Sabina Franklyn. The late actor had no children.