Mick Garvey
Mick would do anything for a quiet life. Sadly it's not what he gets when he comes to Benidorm with his Lancashire family on their first holiday abroad.
Mick likes to save money whenever he can. At the end of the first series he was prosecuted for benefit fraud!
In series two Mick and Janice are grandparents, after their 17-year-old daughter Telle gave birth to baby Coolio.
Mick has spent the last year paying for his disability scam and so is now up to his eyeballs in debt. When the opportunity to go back to the Costa Blanca, all paid for by her mother's new 'boyfriend', the family are understandably excited.
The family's new holiday coincides with Mick and Janice's ten-year wedding anniversary. Oddly enough, Mick hasn't mentioned this. Maybe he has a surprise in store?
Janice Garvey
Mick's wife - her heart is in the right place but she has a sharp word to say when she disagrees with something... which is quite often actually!
In series two Janice is even more excited to be away with her family because she's now a grandma and so gets to fuss over Chantelle and baby Coolio.
During the new series Janice gets very upset with Mick for forgetting their anniversary; when a barman flirts with her she goes for it in a moment of madness!
Martin Weedon
Anxious and timid Martin is constantly trying to please Kate, his wife of three years.
Their marriage seems to always be going through a rough patch and it only takes five seconds for Martin to realise that the Solana Resort is the very worst place for them to make a fresh start when they arrive in series one.
It comes as a shock when he and Kate find themselves back at the Solana for a second year, due to problems with the hotel they were supposed to be staying in.
Faced by Kate's constant criticism and the presence of the man she slept with last year, Martin decides it's time to stand up for himself and become a real man. If its alright with Kate, that is!
Martin wins an arm-wrestling competition against Mateo, who Kate had the fling with last year, so he revels in getting revenge on his love rival. But just when things are back on track, Martin has a stolen kiss with an older woman!
Kate Weedon
Snobby and spoilt Kate is desperate to have a baby. The last place she wanted to go on holiday was Benidorm, so when Martin surprised her with the destination at the airport she almost hit him!
In series two Kate and Martin are quite smug when arriving in Spain as they have booked themselves into a much nicer hotel in a lovely area and, compared to last year, they are looking forward to their holiday together. However things go wrong, and before long Kate cannot believe it but she is soon walking back into the 'resort from hell'.
Madge
Madge is Janice's mother. She is a sharp-tongued, sun-worshipping grandmother!
Almost never seen without a fag, Madge is normally either sun-bathing or driving around the resort on her mobility scooter... insulting people. She has a bad word for everyone!
In series two Madge has a new 'boyfriend' called Mel. He is the owner of five sun bed shops and 'Didsbury's answer to Julio Iglesias'.
During the second series Sylvia - a wheelchair riding love rival - pops up. Madge obviously can't stand for that!
Gavin
Gavin is devoted to Troy. He's been in a relationship with Troy for 15 years and the pair have just set up a successful hair salon in Derby.
After an 'interesting' first holiday, Gavin is reluctantly persuaded by Troy to try Benidorm one more time, if only for more after-dinner stories like their last visit provided them with. Gavin still isn't sure what he's doing in Benidorm but has chilled out a bit since marrying Troy and does now try to enjoy himself.
In series two Gavin gets a visit from his unreliable mother Dorothy. On a flying visit, him mum manages to fight off Mateo, snog Martin, get drunk in a karaoke bar and disappoint her son yet again!
Troy
In series one, Troy and his partner Gavin are on their first break away together after setting up a successful hair salon.
Troy describes himself as 'gorgeous', 'stylish', 'laid back'... and 'modest'!
Troy and his boyfriend like to think that they are far too classy for Benidorm, but are happy enough to get drunk and snigger at the other holiday makers.
Troy always tries to make the best of any situation, and loves meeting all the weird and wonderful characters in the hotel. The karaoke certainly provides him with plenty of laughing opportunities.
Donald Stewart
Donald is definitely an innocent free sprit. From Spanish threesomes to dogging on the beach, it's sun, sea and sex all the way for Scottish Donald, but more importantly for him: it's all inclusive!
As a regular at The Santiago with his wife, Donald has been coming to Benidorm for twenty years. He hardly ever bothers to venture into the city as everything he wants is provided for free in the Solana Resort - all the inclusive food, drink and sex and swinger could want!
Donald gets involved in most activities around the pool - he likes to pack his day with as much as possible and manages to do all sorts, usually before breakfast. He also gets involved in as many evening activities as he can too, if you know what we mean!
Jacqueline Stewart
Like her husband Donald, Jacqueline is an enthusiastic middle-aged swinger.
Jacqueline is sexy, overly friendly and an utter chatterbox. She gives out the knowing looks of 'been there, done that', and talks quite openly about her sex life with her husband... it is quite gross at times!
Fundamentally kind-hearted, she and her husband are always on hand with advice and help for the other Solana regulars, in between keeping in touch with the Middlesborough Swingers Association!
The Oracle
'Rotund', 'anally retentive', 'spoilt' and 'frustrated' are four ways you could describe Geoff Maltby.
Known as 'The Oracle' because of his computer-like knowledge of trivial facts and figures, Geoff holidays at The Solana Apartments every year with his mother (although he wants everyone to think she is his Personal Assistant).
Geoff is a Lancashire pub quiz champion. Never far from a competition, a wager or just an argument, Geoff organises holiday pursuits from an arm-wrestling competition to a beach-side sporting activity with near fatal results!
Noreen Maltby
Noreen is The Oracle's mum; although Geoff doesn't want people to know that he still goes on holiday with his mum so he refers to her as "his personal assistant".
Noreen is a lovely Northern lady, with a son who is somewhat of a loser. She has to witness him losing all the time, whether it be at sport, or with women.
Noreen gets really over-excited when her son does go on a date. She is aware that they aren't suited but doesn't care, all she is hoping for is grandchildren!
Noreen spends much of her holiday writing copious postcards, although she doesn't actually have anyone's address. She also likes puzzles and clapping her son when he is on the karaoke stage.
Chantelle Garvey
Chantelle, or 'Telle' as she is often known as, is the Garvey's young daughter.
In the first series she arrives in Benidorm wearing a pink coat that she wont take off. When she brings the karaoke evening to a premature close by over-heating and collapsing in the middle of a song, her reasons for keeping her coat on are soon revealed... When her parents finally remove her coat to help her cool down, the secret she was hiding is revealed - she was heavily pregnant!
In the new series, Chantelle has baby Coolio in tow - she named him after the famous rapper. Telle doesn't actually seem that into looking after Coolio though - she often forgets about him (she'd have absent mindely left him at the airport shop if Janice hadn't been paying attention). The young mother is more than happy to offload baby Coolio onto impromptu babysitters Martin and Kate for the night... and she doesn't even know the Weedon's very well!
Perhaps it's not surprisingly that Telle is looking for time away from Coolio - it seems he has quite a habit of filling his nappy!
Michael Garvey
Nine-year old Michael is the Garvey's youngest child.
When the Garvey's first visited Benidorm, Michael soon made himself well known to all the guests as he left a 'floater' in the pool. A year later the traumatic incident is still preying on the mind of Kate!
Like all young children, Michael is quite a bundle of energy when he is on holiday and so he can be, at times, hard for Mick and Janice to contain. Michael's frequent requests to visit the beach certainly annoy Mick.
Mateo
Mateo is The Solana Resort's resident lothario. As a member of staff at the hotel, he has the job of looking after the pool bar - which is a prime location to chat up guests.
Mateo seems to have a never ending string of women interested in a bit of holiday romance queuing up to date him - as he has no morals he doesn't have a problem with the fact some of them are married women!
The barman clearly doesn't love the women he sleeps with, although he does say all the right things to them. Somehow he hasn't yet been exposed as the sleazebag he is - this is even though he often can't remember the name of whichever girl it is he is currently dating.
Mel (Series 2)
Mel, the thong-wearing love interest of Madge, is a dour, working class, businessman who is a bit of a mystery. He worked hard when he was very young, and often tells people (or rather bores them) with stories of his achievements.
It is Mel who whisks Madge and her family away for a foreign holiday in series two. They go to Benidorm as it provides Madge with two of his favourite pastimes - tanning and mobility chairs.
Little does Madge realise that, only two days into her holiday, accident-prone Mel will ask her a question that could change her life forever!
Mel is good at diving; and also at inappropriately dressing (he wears just a thong by the pool, and dresses up like John Travolta for the karaoke). He really can't sing!
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