VIEWERS of gory new crime thriller The Tower were left thrilled after spotting an Only Fools and Horses star among the cast.
Nabil Elouahabi takes on the role of Younes Mehenni, who’s teenage daughter falls to her death from a tower block, in the ITV three-part series.
But fans were quick to recognise the actor from the 2002 Only Fools and Horses Christmas special, called Strangers On The Shore.
Nabil played Rashid ‘Gary’ Mamoon in the festive episode, an apparent ‘illegal immigrant’ who ends up in the back of Denzil’s lorry as Del Boy and Rodney head back from France.
And people are delighted to spot him on telly screens again.
One viewer of The Tower tweeted: “IT’S ONLY BLOODY GARY!!!!! #TheTower.”
Another added: “#TheTower just waiting for Del Boy and Rodney to take GARY back to Nelson Mandela House.”
A third chimed in: “Who else said “GARY!” in their head when this guy came on the screen? #TheTower.”
And a fourth said in agreement: “Anyone else shouting ‘Gary’ at the tele….anyone??”
‘YOU PLONKER’
In Strangers On The Shore, Del and Rodney cross the Channel to scatter Albert’s ashes and load up on duty free booze to bring back to England.
Once they have returned to home soil, the pair – played by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst – discover the ‘illegal immigrant’ in the back of their lorry.
Back at Nelson Mandela House, they introduce him to Raquel, Damien and Cassandra as ‘Gary’, a friend from Rodney’s evening school.
However, it later emerges that ‘Gary’ is actually a worker called Rashid Mamoon from the wine warehouse they had visited in France.
Unbeknown to him, Del had accidentally trapped Rashid in Denzil’s lorry before catching the ferry back to England – and his worried family think he’s been kidnapped.
Things then take an even more unfortunate turn when Del, Rodney and Boycie are arrested for kidnapping ‘Gary’.
Nabil made his debut as Younes Mehenni in The Tower on Monday night.
He plays a grieving dad whose teenage daughter falls to her death from the top of a London tower block alongside a veteran police officer.
However, Younes was previously accused of harassing a local resident and her young son. The son was also on the tower block roof when the grisly deaths happened.
Meanwhile, Nabil – who will star in The Tower across three consecutive nights – is also known for appearing in EastEnders.
The actor played Tariq Larousi in the BBC One soap from 2002 to 2005, following his Only Fools and Horses fame.
