from prosecution, he names himself as the thief. Del is later diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome caused by his diet of fast foods, cigars and alcohol. Although engaged many times, he never marries. He has had many girlfriends, a fact that is the subject of numerous sarcastic comments by Rodney. He finally meets his partner Raquel Turner (whom he calls his "significant other") in the 1988 special "Dates". Personal life Family Del's mother Joan dies on 12 March 1964, apparently after a long period of ill health. His neglectful father Reginald leaves three months later (on Del's 16th birthday), taking most of their money and even Del's birthday cake. This leaves the teenage Del as the family's sole provider, looking after his grandfather and Rodney, his half-brother who was born around thirteen years after him (the age gap is stated as thirteen years in one episode, but Rodney's year of birth is anywhere between 1958 and 1963 according to different episodes). He lives with Rodney, Cassandra, Raquel and their son Damien at door 368 on the twelfth floor of the fictional Nelson Mandela House in the Dockside Estate, Peckham, London. Before that, he lives in an old detached house in 39 Orchard Street with his mother, father and grandfather. His grandfather was an "out of work lamp-lighter, waiting for gas to make a comeback." In the episode Sleepless in Peckham Del gives the implication that his father was also a physically abusive bully who used to beat women and children, including Joan and Del. Del's father was friends with Freddie Robdal, who became better known as Freddie the Frog. It was Del's father who also brought Freddie to his home one night, which led to an affair between him and Joan, and soon after, the birth of Rodney. When he was a youngster, Del was always told to call Freddie "Uncle Fred". Then, years later, when Uncle Albert got drunk one night at a party, he told Del all about the affair. Some time afterwards, Uncle Albert told Del that Del's aunt Rene took all the photos of Del's mum because every one had a picture of Freddie in it, and she knew that when Rodney grew older the similarities would start to show, so she burnt all the photos of Joan after her funeral. Relationship with other characters Del Boy has many friends during the series; Denzil, Trigger, Boycie,