Tessa Peake-Jones

Tessa Peake-Jones (born 9 May 1957) is an English actress who has appeared in many plays and series on British television. She played Raquel in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses (1988—2003), Tawny Owl in the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood (1993-1995), and Mrs. Maguire in the ITV drama Grantchester (2014–2024).

Peake-Jones was born on 9 May 1957^[2] in London, to her mother Mary.^[3] She was raised in Hammersmith^[4] and educated at Kenmore Park Junior School, Harrow and Downer Grammar School^[2] (now known as Canons High School), leaving in 1973,^[2] before training at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.^[5]

Peake-Jones is best known for playing Raquel Turner, the longtime partner of main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter (played by David Jason) in the television comedy Only Fools and Horses from 1988 to 1993, in 1996, and from 2001 to 2003.^[5] She voiced Tawny Owl in the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood.

She had a co-starring role in the 1999 television series Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Her other television appearances include Bergerac, The Demon Headmaster,^[5] Midsomer Murders, Casualty,^[5] Holby City, The Bill,^[5] Up the Garden Path and So Haunt Me.^[5]

Peake-Jones appeared in the BBC adaptation of Iris Murdoch's The Bell (1982). She also played the role of the bookish sister Mary Bennet in the BBC serial adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (1980).^[5] 2007 saw her at the National Theatre as Irene in The Five Wives of Maurice Pinder by Matt Charman.^[6]

For the Royal Shakespeare Company, she appeared as Ophelia in Hamlet and Luciana in The Comedy of Errors in a UK tour, 1987-88, and as Helma in The Park by Botho Strauss at the Barbican in London in 1995.

In March 2008, she appeared as a member of staff in the Channel 4 psychiatric hospital drama Poppy Shakespeare.^[5] In both 2009 and 2011, Peake-Jones played Sue Bond in the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors.^[5] In 2013, she appeared in the Doctor Who Christmas episode "The Time of the Doctor" playing a character called Marta. Since 2014, Peake-Jones has appeared in Grantchester as Mrs. Maguire, the vicar's religious and cantankerous housekeeper.^[5]

In 2019, Peake-Jones appeared on the ITV show All Star Musicals, singing "Mamma Mia" from the musical Mamma Mia!.^[7]

Peake-Jones' former partner is actor Douglas Hodge,^[1] from whom she separated in February 2013 after 29 years together.^[1] They have two children.^[4]

• Tessa Peake-Jones at IMDb
• Exploring Grantchester character of Mrs. Maguire played by Tessa Peake-Jones