Only Fools and Horses star John Challis cancels tour due to ill health

John Challis had been set to play more than 30 dates across the UK

Only Fools and Horses star John Challis has been forced to cancel his tour due to ill health, promoters said.

The Herefordshire actor, best known as Boycie in the BBC1 series, had been due to tour his Only Fools and Boycie show but completed only the first performance.

In a statement, A Way With Media, said the tour had been cancelled "with immediate effect."

The actor had been advised to cancel further engagements, it added.

Described as an "intimate evening with John Challis," the show was set to "reveal secrets from the set with stories and anecdotes from his dazzling career."

The 79-year-old was also due to meet fans after the show to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

John Challis starred alongside Sir David Jason in the beloved BBC1 sitcom

There were just over 30 scheduled dates, the promoter said, beginning on 3 September and running until mid-November.

The only performance to go ahead was at Stourport Civic Centre in Stourport-on-Severn.

Challis was best known for his portrayal of unscrupulous second-hand car dealer Terrance Aubrey 'Boycie' Boyce in the beloved sitcom set in Peckham, south London, alongside Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst.

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More recently he played Monty Staines in four series of Benidorm on ITV.

As well as television he has extensively appeared in theatre, film and radio shows.

According to his website he shares his home with his wife in the ruins of a 12th Century abbey in Herefordshire.