ITV sitcom Benidorm brought plenty of smiles to a lot of faces in its 11 year run – but it left an equal amount of fans devastated when it finally drew to a close in 2018.
Starring everyone from Coronation Street’s Tony Maudsley to Tim Healy, the show – which focused on holidaymakers staying at the Solana Resort in Benidorm – might have provided a balm for viewers wanting a bit of escapism, but in real life it was marred by tragedy.
Tim Healy, who played Lesley in the classic series, had to be written out of the ninth series in 2016 after the star was rushed to hospital. His filming schedule was initially reworked to give him recovery time, but the star confessed he was “close to death”, so he had to be written out completely.
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The star remained in a Spanish hospital for four weeks before he was airlifted back to the UK. Benidorm creator Derren Litten confirmed the star actually died and had to be resuscitated, before spending a month in intensive care while suffering from a mystery illness.
(Image: PA)
Derren said: “He was incredibly unwell. We had shot about three episodes with Tim. I got a phone call from Tim’s wife, Joan, at the hotel and she said he was unwell, doubled up in pain and can’t move. I jumped into my car and went down there. He was in a pretty bad way.”
Tim was in a coma for days but thankfully made a recovery at his Wilmslow home, in time to film series 10 of the iconic sitcom.
Sadly, not everyone was so lucky…
Star found dead
(Image: Twitter/ @TonyMaudsley1)
Corrie star Tony Maudsley was left devastated in January 2024 when his friend Michael McGarrigle vanished without a trace in Glasgow. Michael worked with Tony on Benidorm, employed as a costume supervisor by ITV.
The soap star desperately reached out on social media, pleading for any information about Michael’s whereabouts. The original missing poster read: “He has been missing for several days, last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Glasgow area.
“We, his friends and family, are extremely concerned for his safety and would appeal to anyone who may have seen him in the last 48 hours.” Sadly, Michael was later found dead.
Tony updated his fans, informing them: “Thank you so much to everyone for all your efforts in reposting our appeal to find Michael yesterday. I’m so sad to say that we found out late last night that we’ve lost our beautiful friend. Our whole Benidorm family is devastated and we’ll miss him hugely. RIP Michael.”
Vulva cancer battle
(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
Janey star Crissy Rock was diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer – vulva cancer – which makes up just 0.7% of all cancers in women.
She received her diagnosis just six years before landing her iconic role in Benidorm in 2006. Crissy had to undergo three surgeries in five years and was treated for thrush three years before her diagnosis. She also had to undergo reconstructive surgery and chemotherapy.
She admitted to the Liverpool Echo: “I was lucky. I was three stages away from getting a full vulvectomy when they removed the cancer and the area needs to be packed and unpacked daily, leaving an open wound. I was able to have the cancer removed and then reconstructed, and I’m still here. But I would love to make people more aware of cancer of the vulva.
“One of the hardest things was being treated in the GU clinic, which treats sexually transmitted diseases; that makes you feel dirty. But then the other thing is once they have finished everything it’s like, ‘okay, have a nice life’. And you’re thinking, hang on a minute…”
Brain tumour tragedy
(Image: Julian Hamilton/Sunday Mirror)
Sadly, Joyce Temple-Savage actress Sherrie Hewson had some devastating news of her own to share in 2019, when her brother Brett Hutchinson was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Brett was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, with scans revealing a tumour the size of a golf ball. He was forced to undergo two surgeries, alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Sherrie admitted: “You never think it’s going to happen to you. You never think it’s going to be part of your family and, when it is, you don’t actually believe it.
“We’re such a family unit and we all just kept each other very tight. But then you just go home on your own and cry… And then you go, ‘come on, let’s start again’ – and we did that every day.”
Sadly Brett died in April 2020 after being given 18 months to live. She revealed on talkRADIO: “I’ll always believe that Covid had something to do with his [death], they call it pneumonia but I don’t believe that. Controversially, I believe that that’s what it was called but no one, you can’t prove things, the sadness and the pain was too big to carry on and create a fuss.”
Tragic loss
(Image: ITV)
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In 2014, Scottish actor Kenny Ireland sadly lost his battle with cancer, and passed away at the age of 68. Kenny was best known for playing Donald Stewart in Benidorm, but was written out of the series to concentrate on treatment.
A spokesperson for ITV confirmed at the time: “We are terribly saddened to hear that Kenny Ireland has passed away, our thoughts are with his family at this time.He was a much loved actor, not only by the cast and crew on Benidorm but by the millions of fans out there.
“He appeared as Donald Stewart in Benidorm from the first episode and helped play a huge part in its success. He will be greatly missed.”
Kenny originally landed his Benidorm role through his agent wife Meg, but confessed fans often confused him for his saucy alter-ego. He said in 2008: “It’s nice when they were nice, but it’s not so nice when they say, ‘Eh you Donald come ere, my wife’s up for it.’ You get it in coded ways.
“Guys would come up to you in a bar and go, ‘My wife thinks it’s all for real, you know’, and he’s waiting for you to say, ‘Well it is you know’.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
