SIR David Jason stepped out for the first time since the news broke of the passing of his Only Fools and Horses co-star.
The actor, 84, was supported by his wife Gill Hinchcliffe and his daughter Sophie as they attended a starry performance of Cirque du Soleil Corteo at the Royal Albert Hall.
His appearance on the red carpet came just hours after it was revealed that actress Diane Langton, with whom Sir David had worked alongside on the hit sitcom, had passed away.
Diane had played David’s character Del Boy’s on-off lover June Snell in two episodes of the BBC sitcom.
Stepping out amid the sad news, David managed to flash a smile for the cameras as he put his thumbs up as he posed on the carpet.
He wore a grey trench coat for his evening of entertainment alongside his family.
Sir David added a flat cap as he placed a loving arm around his daughter as they smiled for the waiting cameras.
Sophie stunned in a butterfly-patterned dress whilst mum Gill wore a similar style of trousers and paired it with a chic satin top.
David and his family were not the only stars at the event with Girls Aloud songstress Nicola Roberts and TV star Georgia Toffolo all among the A-list guestlist.
His outing likely allowed him a distraction following the news of Diane’s passing.
A statement from her agent Shane Collins said: “I am sad to say that Diane Langton passed away this morning.”
The star, from Somerset, had a long career on screen, including TV spin off Carry On Laughing in 1975 and film sequel Carry On England in 1976.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Tribute to Diane Langton: A Beloved Star’s Legacy” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6367132661112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Diane also appeared in Beeb soap EastEnders as Bev Williams and had stints in The Bill and Heartbeat before joining the cast of Channel 4‘s Hollyoaks from 2007 as Marlena ‘Nana’ McQueen.
She initially left in 2009 but returned in 2012, before leaving again in 2023, only to return last year.
Championing her incredible career, agent Mr Collins commented: “Diane had a rich and remarkable career appearing on Stage, in Films, and on television, including playing the iconic Nana McQueen in Hollyoaks from 2007 to the present day.”
