Trigger in Only Fools and Horses - all you need to know about the legend!

Trigger in Only Fools with Rodney, Del, Albert, Boycie and Marlene

Del: 'You said it was open 24 hours a day…' Trigger: 'Yeah, but not at night.' Genius!

Trigger in Only Fools and Horses is a truly great comedy character.

He was involved in one of comedy’s funniest ever scenes when Del fell through the bar in Yuppy Love. The look on Trigger’s face is priceless and the character has an amazing ability to steal almost every scene he’s in!

When did Trigger first appear in Only Fools and Horses?

Trigger in Only Fools and Horses

Trigger, now I wonder where Dave is?

Trigger appeared in the show’s very first episode, which went out on 8th September 1981. Along with David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, he was the only person to appear in the show’s first episode and its final one in 2003. Trigger was also played by Lewis Osborne in prequel Rock & Chips.

What’s Trigger’s real name in Only Fools?

Colin Ball. But no one calls him that!

Why was Trigger called Trigger?

Del explains, in one epiosde, because he “looks like an horse”. Trigger was a screen horse that appeared in a number of films, including My Pal Trigger (1946).

Who played Trigger in Only Fools?

Roger Lloyd Pack, who sadly died aged 69 in 2014. David Jason paid tribute to Roger at the time saying: “Although he played the simple soul of Trigger in Only Fools and Horses, he was a very intelligent man and a very fine actor capable of many roles.”

During a distinguished career, Roger enjoyed many theatre roles and starred in The Vicar of Dibley as farmer Owen Newitt.

Trigger’s best quotes…

Trigger and Mike chatting about what Del and Raquel are going to call their baby…

Trigger: “If it’s a girl they’re calling her Sigourney after an actress, and if it’s a boy they’re naming him Rodney… after Dave.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVYPE7NGbnw

Trigger and Rodney…

Trigger: “Problems, Dave?

Rodney: “ I don’t want to talk about it Trig. You ever been wrongly accused of something?”

Trigger: “Yeah once.”

Rodney: “How did you get out of it?”

Trigger: "Well I didn’t - I was guilty.”

Trigger's Broom!

Talking about getting an award from the council for looking after his broom...

Trigger: “Maintained it for 20 years. This old brooms had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time.”

Sid: “How the hell can it be the same bloody broom then?”

Trigger: “There’s the picture. What more proof do you need?”

And the scene where Del falls through the bar…

Del tells Trigger that women nowadays “go for more mature men who’ve made it in life”.

Trigger: “Yeah, is that why we’re having no luck?”

Arriving to dump off some very suspicious waste with Denzil and Del…

Del: “You said it was open 24 hours a day…”

Trigger: “Yeah, but not at night.”

Where can I watch Trigger in Only Fools?

Gold is screening classic episodes. There are also seven series on Britbox, plus many episodes on Netflix.

How old is Trigger in Only Fools?

Trigger was born on 22nd April 1948, making him 33 when the show started. By the final episode Trigger was 55.

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!