After a longer than usual wait, the ninth, yes NINTH series of Benidorm is about to arrive on ITV.
Quite why Benidorm didn’t air in its usual January slot I don’t know but thankfully it’s back and the weather outside is still miserable so it’s still a welcome hour in the weekly telly schedule.
Sherrie Hewson returns as Solana manageress Joyce Temple Savage, Jake Canuso is back as barman/lothario Mateo and having been reunited at the end of series eight, Tony Maudsley and Adam Gillen are back together as Kenneth and Liam.
The Dawsons are back and this time there’s a new addition to the family, Noreen (Elsie Kelly), her son Geoff (Johnny Vegas) and her daughter Pauline (Selina Griffiths) also return as do Troy (Paul Bazely) and Jaqueline (Janine Duvitski).
Also back for another lads holiday are Tiger and Joey (Danny Walters and Nathan Bryon) who strike up a friendship with familiar face Sam who makes a welcome return to Benidorm after her last appearance in series five.
Tim Healy fell ill halfway through filming, but does appear for the first half of the series.
Here’s a first look at the new series with the cast photo as well as a sneak peek at the first episode with guest star, Nigel Havers...
Just like last series, I spent a couple of days out in Benidorm last year, visiting the set and speaking to the cast. You’ll be able to read those interviews VERY soon!