Benidorm has been making viewers laugh, cry and recoil in horror since it first aired back in 2007.
Following the lives of the staff and guests of the Solana hotel, the ITV show became a hit with audiences, as it reflected how Brits holidayed abroad. The show was full of intriguing and beloved characters, and ran for ten years before being retired in 2018.
However, whilst fans know the show was recorded on-site in Spain, many may not know the secrets behind the production and how the show even came about. From on-screen fights to inappropriate fan behaviour, the show had seen it all over the course of its run.
READ MORE: Benidorm fans beg ‘when’s the next series’ as cast reunite after six years
READ MORE: Join the Daily Star Soaps WhatsApp for all the latest spoilers and exclusives
So, as the show’s memory continues to live on, Daily Star looks at some of Benidorm’s secrets behind the scenes.
Real fights between actors
(Image: ITV)
On the show, many of the characters were seen being at loggerheads, but none more so than hotel manager Joyce Temple Savage and hairdresser Kenneth du Beke. Played by Sherrie Hewson and Tony Maudsley, the pair were at the heart of a bitter on-screen rivalry by the end of the fifth season.
This led to a huge brawl between the pair on the show, but many do not know is that the actors were actually fighting and doing damage to each other. Looking back at the filming, Sherrie said that she heard Tony exclaim: “You’re actually doing it for real Sherrie; you’re actually thumping me in the face!”
She admitted she apologised, but did not know how to best make it look good, before eventually kicking Kenneth’s front teeth out by the pool. She later added: “I couldn’t help it because I really wanted to smack him because I thought it will look so much better if I smack him.”
Chance roles
(Image: ITV / Tiger Aspect)
Throughout its run, Benidorm was famed for having famous faces on the show making striking celebrity cameos. These have included Janet Street-Porter, as well as Jackie and Joan Collins, to name just a few.
But beloved character Lesley, played by Auf Wiedersehen, Pet star Tim Healy came about after a chance conversation with writer Derren Litten. He admitted that he only landed the role after being a little bit intoxicated and accepting while his inhibitions were low.
“I met Derren and said, ‘Oh I love the show, it’s great,'” Tim recalled. “He said, ‘Well, would you like to do one?’ – and by this time I’d had a few beers, so I said, ‘I’d love to.'”
Derren then asked Tim, who is the father of The 1975 singer Matty Healy, what kind of character would he want to play. Healey then responded: “Something that people would never expect,” and the cross-dressing barmaid Lesley was born.
Raunchy fans
(Image: TV Grab)
Sleazy barman Mateo Castellanos became a firm fan favourite on the show as many fans got hot under the collar for the hunky star. But actor Jake Canuso, who played the role of Mateo has said that away from the show, he has been approached by a host of fans looking for a slice of the Spaniard.
“I get all the groping,” he explained in an interview with The Sun in 2018. “I get licked and kissed on a daily basis.”
He also recounted the moment he stood in for a matador at a bullring, but instead was a dog wearing horns. He explained that the hound “clearly wasn’t trained” and that the entire scene was improvised, including ham being kept in his trousers and shoes so Mateo could scream for comedic affect when the hound went to “bite” him.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
