Here's a Jackanory about Frankie Dettori... he learned English by watching East-Enders as a dustbin lid.*
The Italian jockey was 14 when he came to Britain in 1985, the year Enders launched. Frankie tuned in to pick up our lingo – and silence the bullies.
Joker Frankie, 50, said: “It was very hard, the language barrier and obviously I was from Italy, so I was picked on and a bit bullied.
“The first three months was difficult because of the language and the food, everything. I was spending my life watching EastEnders.
"Then I shared a room with a Cockney guy and he used to teach me apples and pairs and sky rocket – I had no idea what he was saying.”
Dad-of-five Frankie also told the Harry Redknapp podcast how his father Gianfranco encouraged a love of horse-racing as a boy.
He added: “I’d go to the races every weekend with my old man.
"I used to nick a pound from my mum’s purse and put it on the races. I wasn’t even tall enough to get over the window. I got hooked on it.”
*Dustbin lid– kid. No porkies.
