Bulge battling Barry Henderson, 50, has been a fan of Only Fools and Horses since 1983 – and when he met his hero Del Boy (Sir David Jason), he was inspired to lose weight
An Only Fools and Horses super-fan has dropped more than six stone, claiming he drew inspiration from Del Boy.
Barry Henderson, who has been a fan of the sitcom since he first watched the show when he was nine in 1983, had always grappled with weight issues. The 50-year-old NHS worker would guzzle up to 12 bottles of Coke and chomp through as many as 24 bags of crisps a day. At his peak weight, he tipped the scales at 19st 12lbs, donning 44″ trousers and XXXL T-shirts.
However, a chance encounter with his idol, Sir David Jason, at an Only Fools and Horses Convention changed his life overnight.
During their conversation about Derek Trotter, Sir David expressed his admiration for his character’s resilience and optimism, waking up each day thinking “today could be the best day of my life”, despite the numerous setbacks faced in the sitcom.
Inspired by his meeting in August 2024, Barry embarked on a fitness journey the very next day, hitting the gym and eliminating chocolate, crisps and sweets from his diet.
He managed to lose an impressive 6st 8lb, to take him down to 13st 4lbs, attributing his weight loss success to his hero.
And in March 2025, a proud Barry met Sir David again at the same convention, expressing how his words had sparked a change in his outlook.
Barry, hailing from Aberdeen shared: “He told me about his character and how bad his life was, but he got up every morning with a positive mindset at all times. I’ve idolised this guy for thirty years.
“The next day after the convention, I joined the gym, totally changed my diet, and walked in public. It was because I had so much respect.”
He expressed his admiration for the man, saying: “I’ve got so much time for him and I looked into his eyes and I knew that he was actually interested and cared. If I was ever going to make myself proud, I wanted to meet him again, and talk to him about his words and how they spurred me on.
“He said he couldn’t believe that he had inspired me, and it was great to meet me again. It made me feel so good about myself.”
Speaking about his lifelong love for Only Fools and Horses, he said: “You are so into that family, and you want the best for them. The acting is great, and I love all the characters.
“Sir David’s story is great, and that is what you see throughout the show, you get a real connection with all of the characters. “
At the convention, he told Sir David how much the show meant to him. “People have said to never meet your heroes but Sir David Jason was absolutely brilliant,” he gushed.
“The words that came from Sir David changed my life. He said that my binge eating has to stop and my gambling has to stop. My admiration for David and his words changed my life.”
Barry swapped his bacon butty breakfasts for avocado on toast, and his dinner of pasties became steak with asparagus. He also joined the gym, working out three times a week.
“I would watch Only Fools and Horses every day,” he shared. “It kept me going.”
And, with his new 34″ waist size, Barry proudly displayed his new physique to Sir David last month.
“He said he remembered me and he talked to me about the weight and he said what Derek Trotter can do to people,” added Barry.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
