It’s been three years since the passing of British actor John Challis, but his wife Carol continues to share humorous anecdotes about his career on social media.
John is best known for his iconic roles as Terrance Aubrey ‘Boycie’ Boyce in Only Fools and Horses and Owen Newitt in the Vicar of Dibley. This week, Carol took to X to reminisce about John’s visits to Crinkley Bottom, the setting of Noel Edmonds’ 1990s show Noel’s House Party, which featured the chaotic character Mr Blobby and the infamous ‘Gunge Tank’ challenges.
However, John had a strict clause in his contract to avoid getting covered in slime at all costs, as Carol revealed. “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 shared. “Under no circumstances.”
Since taking over John’s X account after his passing, Carol has amassed over 130,000 followers. Fans responded with affection, with one saying: “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.”
Another joked: “I don’t blame him, imagine ruining his overcoat,” referencing Boycie’s signature style. And a third fan teased: “Maybe he should have had a goo… he might have been less scared of it.”
John’s first TV role was in ‘The Newcomers’ on the BBC back in 1967, and in that same year he appeared in Coronation Street, stealing Ena Sharples’ handbag. He soon bagged a regular role in the soap as Detective Sergeant Norman Phillips from 1975 until 1977.
John sadly passed away aged 79 in 2021, with his family saying he slipped away “peacefully in his sleep, after a long battle with cancer”. They asked for donations in his memory to Cuan Wildlife Rescue, Tusk, or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
