Del Boy - Confusion Over Age

Confusion Over Age

Del Boy's year of birth is contradicted in several episodes. In "Sleepless in Peckham" (2003), Rodney shows Cassandra a photo of the 1960 Jolly Boys' outing, saying that Del was 15, making his date of birth around 1945. In "Go West Young Man" (series 1, 1981), it is implied that he is 35, giving him a birth year of 1945/46. In "A Losing Streak" (series 2, 1982) and "Thicker than Water" (series 3, 1983), he claims that their father left in 1965, on his 16th birthday, making his birth year 1949. In "Tea for Three" (series 5, 1986), Rodney tells Trigger's niece Lisa that Del's 46th birthday is coming up, making the year of birth 1940, although in that scene Rodney may be lying to make Del appear older. "The Class of '62" (series 7, 1991) sees Del and friends attending a class reunion, suggesting a birth year of 1946 or 1947.

The prequel drama Rock & Chips, set in 1960, shows Del Boy at 15, before Rodney has been born. This is confirmed when the teacher complains about the boys having to stay at school for another year because of a change in the law. (The school leaving age in the UK was raised to 16 in 1960.) This, however, is inconsistent with "Big Brother" (Series 1, 1981), when Del states that he is 13 years older than Rodney. If this were so, Del should have been 12 or 13 in Rock & Chips.