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Sir David Jason has paid tribute to his friend of over 40 years and Only Fools and Horses co-star John Challis after he died, saying it's "hard to think of the world without him".
The Inspector Morse actor led the tributes to the iconic actor, who played the character of Boycie on the Peckham-based sitcom for decades.
Jason, 81, also shared his thoughts for Challis' friends and family.
His statement was shared by the TV show's official Only Fools and Horses News account on Twitter.
"Such sad news," Jason, who played lead character Del Boy Trotter on the much-beloved show, wrote. "John was such a lovely man, a fine actor and a friend for over forty years.
"Hard to think of the world without him.
"Condolences to his family at this incredibly sad time," the actor added.
Challis died at the age of 79 after a long battle with cancer.
The actor's family shared the sad news in a statement, explaining he had been battling the disease in private but passed away "peacefully".
"It is with heavy hearts that we bring you such sad news," they said.
"Our dear friend and yours, John Challis, has died peacefully in his sleep, after a long battle with cancer."
"He will always be loved for being 'Boycie' and leaves a great legacy of work that will continue to bring pleasure and smiles for many years to come," the star's family finished.
Tragically, Challis had been forced to cancel his 30-date spoken word tour named Only Fools and Boycie only weeks before his death.
At the time, the cancellation was reported as due to an undisclosed health issue after just one date was completed.
It was set to take place between September and November but the tour promoter informed fans that the star had been advised to cancel the rest of the dates with immediate effect.
Challis was surrounded by friends and family in his last days.
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