1 week Ago By Monde Mwitumwa
It's been almost two decades since Benidorm first aired and viewers instantly fell in love with the guests and staff of the iconic Solana hotel. The ITV Brits abroad sitcom, which starred household names like Tim Healy and Sherrie Hewson, first burst onto screens in 2007 and ran for ten seasons and 74 episodes. It followed a group of holidaymakers in the Spanish resort.
Fans were left disappointed when the series came to an end in May 2018 after 11 years but it appears as though the much-loved comedy might be making its return to our TV screens. Now, a TV insider claims that ITV chiefs are holding talks with creator Derren Litten about reviving the series for a new series. An original cast member also declared that it will be back.
Sherrie Hewson, who played hotel manager Joyce Temple-Savage in the series, teased in a recent podcast interview: “Benidorm is coming back.” Meanwhile, some stars from sunny Benidorm have had quite the journey since their days on the show, including working at Asda and appearing on ITV hit soap Coronation Street . There have also been terrifying health scares, including one actor whose heart stopped before they made a miraculous recovery.
Here is a look at what the stars have been up to since the show ended. Fan-favourite Johnny Vegas, 54, pocketed a pretty penny from his time on Benidorm and BBC 's Home From Home, sitting on an estimated net worth of £8 million. It's quite the contrast from his alter ego Geoff "The Oracle" Maltby.
Johnny left the series in 2010 after rumours of a rift with the show's creator, which both parties denied, but he made a comeback in 2015. More recently, Johnny was spotted in Carry On Glamping, where in a four-part series, he embarks on a mission to launch his own glamping site, touring the UK in his camper van affectionately named Patricia after his mum. He's kept busy with TV roles and is set to lend his voice to Mr Twit in the animated film adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved children's book, as well as voicing Giro in the upcoming Wombles Movie.
Tim Healy made waves when he clashed with his ex Denise Welch over her candid Loose Women revelations about their intimate life. Her comments clearly ruffled feathers with Tim, who she shares two sons - Matt, the lead singer of The 1975, and actor Louis. Denise and Tim's marriage lasted from 1988 until 2012.
Despite their divorce after 24 years together, Denise and Tim have maintained they're still good friends, even celebrating Christmas together with their new partners. In a concerning turn of events, Tim, aged 73, had a near-death experience while filming the ninth season of Benidorm, falling seriously ill due to an unspecified condition. The show's writer Derren Litten disclosed that Tim was taken to a Spanish hospital following a surgery that went terribly wrong.
"He died, he flatlined, they had to resuscitate him," Litten shared. "He was in intensive care for a month." Since marrying Joan Anderton in 2015, Tim has appeared in the TV show Still Open All Hours until 2019 and lent his voice as the narrator of a short film titled You Are Not Alone.
Hannah Waddingham, now 50, had a role in the sitcom as Tonya Dyke back in 2014. She's since become a massive star both in the UK and across the pond. Hannah's impressive resume includes playing Septa Unella in Game of Thrones, starring as Sofia in Netflix 's hit Sex Education, and portraying Rebecca Welton in the US sensation Ted Lasso, nabbing a best actress award in 2021 for the latter.
The former West End lead, known for her role in Spamalot, has also made a name for herself as a presenter, having hosted the Olivier Awards, last year's Eurovision, and Prince William 's Earthshot Prize. The talented mum-of-one, who shares her 10 year old daughter Kitty with ex Gianluca Cugnetto, bravely opened up about a terrifying health scare that saw Kitty hospitalised with a rare autoimmune condition. "I can talk about it now, but I couldn't for a very long time.
She was in the hospital for a while with them not knowing what it was," she recounted, thankfully adding that Kitty is "doing much better now." Truly capturing hearts was Siobhan Finneran as she took on the role as Janice Garvey, the put-upon matriarch of The Garveys, across six series of Benidorm magic before her departure in 2015. However it was her turn as the scheming Sarah O'Brien in Downton Abbey that has stolen the spotlight, with her performances captivating audiences until her exit in series three.
The actress has been seen in the lottery-themed drama The Syndicate and two series of Happy Valley as Claire Cartwright. Siobhan also had roles in acclaimed shows like The Moorside, The Loch, Cold Feet and popular Sean Bean crime drama Time. The 58 year old is a mother to two children with ex-husband Mark Jordan, who she divorced in 2014.
Swiss actor and dancer Jake Canuso, 55, not only added a dash of Mediterranean charm to the line-up as the Solana resort's resident barman Mateo but also spiced things up with his antics. Post-Benidorm life saw him take Mateo to the stage in Benidorm Live and snatch up the lead in an Aladdin theatre run. In 2019, Derren Litten, the mind behind Benidorm, beckoned him over for a role in Scarborough, and although he gave Dancing on Ice a shot in 2020, he failed to make the cast.
These days, Jake is keeping busy by doing custom video messages through Memmo. Steve Pemberton starred in six series of Benidorm as Mick Garvey, a work-shy dad who often butted heads with his sharp-tongued mother-in-law Madge, played by Sheila Reid. Steve also co-wrote and starred in the sitcom Psychoville and the comedy-drama Inside No 9, which earned him a Bafta in 2019.
He recently portrayed Robbie Williams' father in the biopic Better Man and made cameo appearances in Amazon series Good Omens, Sky's Brassic and BBC 's The Cleaner. Other shows he's appeared in include Doctor Who, Blackpool, Shameless, Whitechapel, Happy Valley and Mapp and Lucia. In February 2018, he appeared on Benidorm Ten Years On Holiday to talk about his time on the show.
Janine Duvitski and Kenny Ireland were central characters who played fun-loving swingers Donald and Jacqueline Stewart, but sadly Kenny passed away at the age of 69 in 2014. The writers of the show commemorated Donald's death, with Jacqueline scattering her husband's ashes over a cliff in Benidorm. Janine has taken a step back from the spotlight in recent years but made an appearance in the critically acclaimed film Little Joe in 2019.
She now relishes spending time with her four children and her actor husband Paul Bentall. Her daughter Edith is making a name for herself as the lead vocalist of the London pop band Fours. Actor Tony Maudsley, 57, portrayed the much-loved Benidorm character Kenneth DuBeke.
His acting career kicked off when he secured a role in the film A Life for a Life in 1998, where he played Stefan Kiszko. Coronation Street fans will instantly recognise Tony as the lovable George Shuttleworth from Coronation Street , who charmed his way into Eileen Grimshaw's heart. Since leaving Benidorm in 2009, Hannah Hobley's life has taken a dramatic and unexpected turn.
The actress, known for her role as Chantelle 'Telle' Garvey, has been largely absent from our screens since 2017, focusing more on pantomime performances. Her most recent performance was in Beauty and the Beast in 2022, and it's believed she has since become a full-time mother to her daughter Beatrice. Beatrice was born in November of that year.
Hannah shared a series of adorable photos on her Instagram , stating that her little girl was "well and truly worth the wait". Now 36, Hannah announced: "@nathrichsmith and I would like to proudly introduce you all to our daughter, Beatrice Hobley-Smith. Born on the 5th November.
A date we will always remember." The fabulous Sheila Reid, 87, is forever known for her role as the iconic Madge Harvey with her ever-present cigarette in hand. Her career has seen her shine on Channel 4's Humans and BBC 's Doctors.
However not many people know that she was an original member of the Royal National Theatre back in 1963. Oliver Stokes played teenager Michael Garvey in the ITV comedy. The actor behind the cheeky teenager, is now a doting dad to adorable Archie, with their sweet moments often captured on Instagram .
Now 26, Oliver has continued his acting journey with appearances in Doctors and Casualty. When he's not on set, he's working at Victory Leisure Homes in Yorkshire or embracing the great outdoors, having conquered an impressive 131 of the 214 Wainwright Peaks, a true "Mountain walker & outdoor enthusiast". Former Coronationn Street actress Sherrie Hewson, who portrayed the character of manager Joyce Temple-Savage from series five, has revealed that men often confuse her with her on-screen persona.
She shared: "She was a right madam. She was very curt with everyone. Joyce thought she was absolutely sensational and that everyone else was as common as muck.
It was wonderful to play. But it's not who I am." Now 74, Sherrie was a regular panellist on Loose Women between 2003 and 2017 and recently joined the cast of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.
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