Les Dennis says 'only a fool' would try and impersonate Del Boy's grandad in West End

Despite his work as an impressionist Les Dennis says he will not imitate Only Fools & Horses’ Grandad as he takes on the role.

Les, 68, takes over the role of Grandad on the hit West End show next week.

He is keen to make his part a tribute to the late Lennard Pearce who played Grandad from 1981 to 1984.

He said: “I was an impressionist, but I didn’t want to bring that sense here at this time.

“I want to do my version, that is a tribute. I want to honour what Lennard Pearce did without it being a straight out impression.”

The star, says his career has “come full circle” as Only Fools, the show became a hit around the time his career took off.

Les Dennis said it would be foolish to do an impersonation of Grandad from the TV show (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

His own mid-80s TV sketch show was filmed in the same place.

He said: “We were working with the BBC, doing our Laughter Show, and Fools and Horses was in the next studio. I used to see them in the canteen and meet with David and Nick Lyndhurst.

“Nick and Lennard Pearce, actually came and did a sketch with me and Dustin [Gee] on The Laughter Show. We were thrilled because this show was taking off massively, at a time that we were trying to get our double-act going Things have kind of come full circle.”

Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney Trotter, David Jason as Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter and Lennard Pearce as Grandad in the classic sitcom (BBC)

Taking a break from learning his lines, Les told how he got advice and then the thumbs up from Paul Whitehouse, who co-wrote the musical and also starred as Grandad successfully to launch the show in London.

He said: “Paul’s been absolutely great. He just said, ‘Make sure that you catch the kind of dottiness and the humour, the petulance of Grandad’.

Les Dennis plays the part of Grandad in the Only Fools and Horses theatre show (Dave J Hogan)

“There’s a point where I make a sausage and it’s like ‘I’ve done me best Del’. And he gives that little petulant look. And he said, ‘that will work, the audience will love that’. He’s been lovely.

“He came to watch a rehearsal last week and we got the thumbs up.”

Also Les, who recently impressed on Countdown standing in for Colin Murray. Urging Channel 4 bosses to give Colin, 45, the job permanently. He said: “I think he’s a great host. So yeah I would like to see him get it full time.”

• Only Fools and Horses The Musical at Theatre Royal Haymarket from October 3 until January 7, tickets: onlyfoolsmusical.com.

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