Sir David Jason has found out he has a daughter he never knew about and she is now 52 and has a son of her own.
The 83-year-old is now proud grandad to Abi Harris’s son Charlie, 10. Speaking of his joy, the Only Fools and Horses star, said: “To say it was a surprise is an understatement.”
Once he and his wife Lady Gill White, 62, and 22-year-old daughter Sophie got over the bombshell news, they welcomed the pair into their family with open arms.
And the acting legend will have a lot of lost time to catch up on building a bond with daughter Abi, who was born in 1970 after her actor mum Jennifer Hill had a brief relationship with him and of course a lifetime of memories ahead with 10-year-old Charlie.
It was revealed Abi started to suspect he was her biological father after hearing about his time with Jennifer and then realising she had the same shaped nose as him, According to reports in The Mirror.
Sir David said: “To say it was a surprise to find out I had a daughter from years ago is an understatement.
“However, on settling with the news, I am delighted that I am now able to get to know Abi and so we meet up when we can.
“My wife, Gill, and daughter, Sophie, have been very supportive and understanding and have embraced Abi and welcomed her and her young son into her now wider family.”
Abi, who is also an actor, and Charlie even spent some of the festive season with Sir David at his home in Ellesborough where they enjoyed family board games and the youngster was given a John Lewis Build Your Own Electronics Set as a Christmas present by him.
During visits, Sir David invites his grandson into his workshop. The pair repair items and he is introducing the boy to the world of model rockets which he launches on fine days.
Charlie also enjoys helping his grandad collect eggs from his brood of chickens.
A source close to the family said: “David’s very sanguine and accepting.
“It seems like an impossible task for everyone, you can’t make up for lost time. That’s just a regret everyone has to carry.
“But what they can do is make the most of their relationships moving forward, and that’s exciting.
“It’s early days, but they are meeting up when they can during holidays.
“They want to become closer until things feel even more open and relaxed. And now there are two new sisters who want to get to know each other, too.”
Friends revealed Abi, who lives in Brighton, has now developed a stronger sense of identity, after spending years wondering about her family roots.
The source added: “She finally has a sense of who she is, and where she has got her genes from. It’s been a difficult process, but one everyone has handled with kindness and compassion, and it seems like - everything is now settling into place.”
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