Only Fools and Horses fans 'only realising' Benedict Cumberbatch's mum starred in BBC show

Only Fools and Horses fans have been left shocked after discovering that one memorable character was played by the real-life mum of Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch.

The legendary BBC sitcom aired between 1981 and 2003 and followed dodgy dealers Del Boy Trotter, played by Sir David Jason, and his younger brother Rodney as they strive to become millionaires from the Peckham high-rise.

Over the years, Rodney, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, grew from an unlucky-in-love 20-something-year-old into a happily married man after meeting his future wife, Cassandra (Gwyneth Strong), while at evening school.

Rodney and Cassandra married in 1989 and celebrated with a wedding reception at The Nags Head. The bride's posh parents, Alan and Pamela Parry, were introduced as Rodney's in-laws during the episode dubbed Little Problems.

Pam wasn't a huge fan of Del as she accused her husband Alan, played by Denis Lill, of being childish while in his company. However, in the first installment of Miami Twice (1991), Pam gets embarrassingly drunk after Damien Trotter's Christening, and the couple also appeared in The Jolly Boys' Outing.

Although Pamela Parry, played by Wanda Ventham, only appeared in three episodes of the BBC sitcom, she's a memorable character from the show.

Wanda, 90, has carved out a hugely successful acting career since she was first credited back in 1956 for her role in the film My Teenage Daughter. Her other television appearances include roles on some huge shows, including Casualty, Midsomer Murders, Father Brown, Holby City, Departure, The Sweeney, Doctor Who, and The Lotus Eaters.

Most recently, she starred as Wendy in the series Departure in 2019 and Fay Douglas in the series Penance in 2020.

It seems the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, as Wanda's son is Hollywood star, Benedict Cumberbatch. The 49-year-old was born at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, West London, to parents Wanda and Timothy.

The mother and son have even starred alongside each other on-screen. Wanda played the mother of Sherlock Holmes when Benedict played the lead role. His father and Wanda's husband, Timothy Carlton, also joined them for the episode.

As Wanda celebrated her 90th birthday on August 5, fans flooded social media with well wishes, which soon sparked reaction from Only Fools and Horses fans who were not aware she is Benedict's mum.

Taking to X, one Only Fools and Horses fan page wrote: "Happy Birthday to Wanda Ventham aka Pamela Parry born on this day 1935. In real life Mum to the one and only Benedict Cumberbach. #onlyfoolsandhorses".

Fans of the show instantly shared their surprise at the connection, with one person replying: "Never knew that. Every day's a school day".

A second exclaimed: "Wow! I didn't know yhat!", while another echoed the sentiment and wrote: "Never knew that".

"I never knew she was Benedict Cumberbatch's mum", shared another.