David and Jay's Touring Toolshed: How Strictly inspired a lasting friendship for David Jason and Jay Blades

ok.co.uk:

When Sir David Jason heard that Jay Blades was going to perform to the Only Fools And Horses theme tune on Strictly Come Dancing, he decided to offer “a bit of encouragement”.Two years later the pair are now friends and have just finished making the series David & Jay’s Touring Toolshed.The routine, filmed for the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special in 2021, saw 53-year-old Jay, sporting a Del Boy-style flat cap and a gold medallion, jiving around a yellow Reliant Regal. “Jay was doing Strictly Come Dancing and I heard that he was going to try, desperately, to dance to the opening theme tune of Only Fools And Horses,” says David, 83. “I thought to myself, ‘He’s not right in the head,’ but I thought I’d give him a bit of encouragement.

So I did a little television note wishing him good luck, basically. You’ve got to give a guy a pat on the back for trying.That’s how we met because he was so grateful, then he was scratching about to try and thank me!” They bonded when furniture restorer Jay discovered David’s passion for making model rockets, restoring vintage motorcycles and running an electric train set.

Determined to turn their shared love of handiwork into camera work, they decided to create this show that sees them travelling around the country in search of like-minded master crafters, help hobbyists with problematic projects and discover ingenious creations.

Before he found fame and became one of our most beloved actors in shows such as Open All Hours and A Touch Of Frost, David was an electrician.