Sir David Jason reveals he collapsed during 'seriously bad' bout of Covid

The Only Fools And Horses star, 82, told BBC Breakfast he caught the virus in July after staying well during the height of the pandemic.

He said: "I got it seriously bad. Because all the muscles weren't working, I collapsed and I fell against the radiator... I was so weak, I couldn't get up."

Sir David said he had attempted to go to the toilet. "I crawled to the bed," he said.

"The muscles weren't working and I used the bed to try and stand up so that I could go to where I wanted to get, and also get back into bed, and I couldn't...

"I tried for about a quarter of an hour, trying all sorts of things to stand up so I could walk about."

Sir David, who also played Granville in the 1970s sitcom Open All Hours – which was filmed in Doncaster – said he made "walrus" movements to move towards the door before he was discovered by his wife.

The actor is best known for playing wheeler-dealer market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in classic sitcom Only Fools, DI Jack Frost in crime drama A Touch Of Frost and Pop Larkin in The Darling Buds Of May.

He is publishing a Christmas book featuring stories from the making of the Only Fools festive specials.