Only Fools and Horses fans reckon they have sussed out the reason Derek “Del Boy” Trotter (played by David Jason) never got married to Raquel Turner (Tessa Peake-Jones).

Fans of the hit BBC comedy will recall Raquel met Del Boy in the 1988 Christmas special.

Although they soon split up, the two reunited the following year.

She became a permanent character in series seven and fans always hoped she and Del Boy would tie the knot, however, a wedding never came for the couple.

The last official episode of the classic series to air was in 2003 for another Christmas special, and 20 years on from that fans are still debating why they never got to see Del Boy and Raquel walk down the aisle.

Taking to Reddit, one fan recalled how Del Boy had proposed to another character, Heather (Rosalind Lloyd), who rejected him.

They wrote: “There is then a close-up shot of the engagement ring box closing.

“My theory is Del said to himself there he’ll never ask anyone to marry him and mean it again.”

Other viewers disagreed though, with one responding: “Apparently Del used to propose to every woman he dated.

Only Fools and Horses: The show remains a huge hit (Image: Getty)

“I think the fact that he won’t propose to Raquel says that their relationship is different from all the ones that came before. It’s real.”

Another echoed this, adding: “I never thought about it that much but honestly, it actually makes sense in a twisted kind of way.

“The perfect woman for him who he ended up spending the rest of his life with, even having a child with, was the one he never tried to stake a claim on the moment he met her.

“Every other girl he met, well to quote the show, they were engaged within a week and broken up within a month.