The 1980s brought us some top-tier telly. From classic British satires like Blackadder and Only Fools and Horses to twist-filled detective dramas, including Agatha Christie's Poirot and Bergerac, viewers were entertained week after week by the biggest and brightest stars of the decade.
Joan Collins became one of the greatest TV villains of all time, thanks to her dastardly portrayal of Alexis Carrington Colby in Dynasty. And David Jason became the nation's everyman after stepping into the sheepskin coat and tweed cap of one Mr Derek Trotter – aka Del Boy.
Feeling nostalgic? Here, we remember the British TV stars that shaped the '80s and reveal what they're up to now.
© ShutterstockJeffrey Holland
Jeffrey Holland landed his breakthrough role as Spike Dixon in Hi-de-Hi!. Cast as the resident comic at Maplin's holiday camp, the actor was a mainstay on the show from 1980 to 1988, and after its conclusion continued to make us laugh in various British sitcoms.
Among them, fans spotted Jeffrey in all 26 episodes of You Rang, M'Lord?, which aired from 1988 to 1993, and Oh, Doctor Beeching!, which ran from 1995 to 1997.
Following his TV heydays, Jeffrey has found happiness with General Hospital actress Judy Buxton, whom he married in 2004. In February 2024, the couple starred alongside one another in a production of After All These Years, held at the Theatre at the Tabard in Chiswick.
Now 78, Jeffrey remains busier than ever and has penned his very own memoir – The First Rule of Comedy..!: Memories and Moments – which will debut in 2025.
© Cindy Ord/VF24,GettyJoan Collins
Joan Collins was already an icon before joining the cast of Dynasty but in her long-running role as Alexis Colby, she delivered one of the most memorable performances of her career. While the show was eventually cancelled in 1989, the actress rejoined her castmates in the spin-off mini-series, Dynasty: The Reunion, resolving the show's original cliffhanger ending.
A woman of many talents, in the years that have followed, Joan has appeared in episodes of Pacific Palisades (1997), Will & Grace (2000), Benidorm (2014-17) and The Royals (2015-17). She has also penned several fiction and non-fiction books.
As of 2024, Joan has celebrated her 91st birthday, and regularly posts on Instagram about life with her husband, Percy Gibson, whom she married in 2002. A doting mum, the A-lister is also incredibly close to her three children – Tara, Alexander and Katyana – and relishes time spent with her grandchildren.
© ShutterstockRowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson is revered as one of Britain's best-loved actors. After landing the title role in the BBC mock-historical comedy, Blackadder, the Durham-born star appeared on the show from 1983 to 1989, before moving on to another iconic series: Mr. Bean (1990-1995).
In the years that followed, Rowan dedicated more time to the big screen and counts Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), The Lion King (1994), Johnny English (2003) and Love Actually (2003) among his filmography. As of 2024, he is currently shooting the fourth instalment in the Johnny English franchise, with production split between Malta and the UK.
On a personal note, Rowan shares two children with his ex-wife, Sunetra Sastry. The former couple were married in 1990 and officially divorced in 2015.
As of 20214, the 69-year-old has been in a ten-year relationship with Horrible Histories actress, Louise Ford. They have since welcomed a child together.
© ShutterstockPauline Quirke
Pauline Quirke is known and loved for playing Sharon Theodopolopodous in Birds of a Feather (1988-1999), which bagged her a British Comedy Award, not to mention several National Television Award nominations.
After portraying Sharon for a decade, Pauline became a series regular in Emmerdale (2010-12) and landed recurring roles in Broadchurch (2013-15) and You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015).
Pauline, 65, has been married to producer Steve Sheen since 1996, and they're proud parents to two children.
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockDavid Jason
David Jason landed the role of a lifetime when he was cast in Only Fools and Horses (1981-91). Following his stint as brash trader, Del Boy, he then starred in A Touch of Frost (1992-2010) and Still Open All Hours (2013-19) and has narrated various documentaries.
Following the passing of Jason's beloved partner, Myfanwy Talog in 1995, the actor went on to marry Gill Hinchcliffe in 2001 and became a father with the arrival of their daughter. The family resides in Buckinghamshire.
In 2022, Jason learned that he had fathered another daughter of whom he had been unaware, and they have been getting to know each other ever since.
© ShutterstockJohn Nettles
John Nettles lived on the island of Jersey for a decade while playing the titular detective in BBC One's Bergerac (1981–1991). After a ten-year stint in the role, he then inhabited another officer, transforming into DCI Tom Barnaby in ITV's Midsomer Murders (1997-2011).
In his later years, John made appearances in episodes of French and Saunders (2003), Toast of London (2014) and Poldark (2016-17). Now retired from acting, John, 80, has been working as a historian.
He resides with his wife, painter Catheryn Sealey, in Devon. Together, the couple share three rescue dogs, three rescue horses and two donkeys. John has one daughter, Emma Martins, from his first marriage to Joyce Nettles. She has welcomed two children of her own, making the Bergerac star a proud grandfather.
