Benidorm

Mateo

Mateo is the Solana'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 the female guests.

Mateo seems to have a never ending string of women who are interested in a bit of holiday romance queuing up to date him - and, 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.

Jacqueline Stewart

Jacqueline is an enthusiastic middle-aged swinger. 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... 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!

Jacqueline isn't always the quickest on the uptake, but is one of the resort's most genuine and caring visitors. However, her world is thrown into disarray when her husband Donald dies suddenly.

She's now found her niche as Kenneth and Liam's not-so-silent business partner in the Blow 'n' Go salon.

Les / Lesley (Series 3-10)

Les is the calm, practical, friendly and resourceful barman at the hotel pool and behind the desk in reception. He's also a hard-worker with good ideas, and a loving dad to his son Liam.

Les is a transvestite and so can sometimes be seen wearing a wig and rollerskating around the pool as 'Lesley'. He and Mateo usually get on despite his showing Mateo up as being lazy.

Liam (Series 4-10)

Liam is Les's awkward but earnest and loveable son. Somewhat clumsy, the job that initially brought him to the Solana - handyman - was not the most natural of fits.

Now he works alongside Kenneth at the hairdressing salon. The two make for a classic comedy double act, with Liam doing all the work whilst Kenneth 'sunbathes and relaxes'.

Liam is on the lookout for love, but his romantic gestures to the various women he's interested in are normally ignored.

Kenneth (Series 4-10)

Kenneth was Gavin's new holiday companion when he arrived in Series 4. He was an employee at Troy and Gavin's hair salon back in England, but he soon decided to move to Benidorm and now runs his own salon in the holiday resort.

Kenneth is as camp as Gavin and Troy, but not as refined. He did a good job of annoying Gavin with his burping, crude language and insatiable appetite. Gavin might have been trying desperately to stick to his low carb diet, but Kenneth is happy to polish off as much free food as he can get.

He loves nothing more than drinking, sunbathing, pulling and Karaoke so the obvious next step was to buy a business and he did just that - he's now the owner of The Solana's premier hairdressing emporium 'Blow & Go'.

Joyce Temple Savage (Series 5-10)

Joyce Temple Savage was previously an air-hostess with BOAC and then worked as a cruise ship manager, but now she runs the Solana Resort. It's her mission to upgrade the hotel, but that doesn't always meet with a positive reaction from Solana CEO Crystal Hennessey-Vass.

After a prior romance with Cyril Babcock, she's now found love with the proud but unlucky Monty Staines.

Monty (Series 7-10)

Monty makes a less than salubrious entrance into the world of our holiday makers as the lead player in a dodgy holiday homes scam.

Finding a slightly more honest line of work, he takes a shine to hotel manager Joyce Temple Savage and, eventually, the pair are married. But when he struggles with employment - and a brief stint as the Solana's entertainments manager ends disastrously - it puts their relationship on the rocks.

Sam (Series 4-5 & 9-10)

Sam was on holiday and out to have a good time in Series 4 and 5. She wasn't afraid to tell people what she thought of them. She certainly didn't like Liam, who was often seen trying to woo her friend.

Now she's back in Benidorm full time, working as rep for one of the Solana's most-used package holiday operators. Single and in her early forties, she loves life in the resort - and quickly develops a fling with the daft but lovely Joey.

Noreen Maltby (Series 1-5 & 7-10)

Noreen is mum of Geoff and Pauline. She is a lovely sweet Northern lady, with a son who is somewhat of a loser, and an over-stressed daughter, yet somehow she doesn't realise their faults. For example, Noreen witnesses Geoff losing all the time, whether it be at sport, or with women, but still thinks her son is the best at everything.

Noreen used to get really over-excited when her son went on a date. She was aware that they weren't suited but doesn't care, all she is hoping for is grandchildren.

Sheron Dawson (Series 8-10)

Sheron is the matriarch of the Dawson family.

She's got a temper on her and is not amused by the inane ramblings and less than diplomatic demeanour of Billy's father Eddie.

Billy Dawson (Series 8-10)

Billy is the father of the Dawson family. He initially invites his father on holiday with them when he's in the midst of a messy divorce.

A constant source of deep annoyance to his wife Sheron, they are nevertheless still very deeply in love after 25 years of marriage.

Eddie Dawson (Series 8-10)

Eddie is Billy's father; he first joins them on holiday in Spain after going through a messy divorce.

His selfishness and lack of tact are as plain to see as the loudly patterned and coloured Hawaiian-type shirts he regularly wears.

Rob Dawson (Series 8-10)

Rob hopes for a holiday romance when he first stays at the Solana, and is soon smitten with barmaid Amber.

On return visits, he makes more of a point of hanging out with Tiger and his extremely dim-witted friend Joey; and later brings new South American girlfriend Cyd along to meet his parents for the first time.

Pauline (Series 4 & 8-10)

Pauline is Noreen's irritable daughter. She couldn't be more different from her brother Geoff. She's short-tempered, rude, snobby and intolerant.

Pauline has spent a few years in South Africa with her husband, but after a messy divorce ventured to Benidorm with her mum before moving back to England. It didn't take long for Pauline to annoy the other guests - whether it be taking their sun lounger, or holding up the ice cream queue with her pedantic complaining.

She's since returned a number of times: with both her mother and Geoff; with her boyfriend, the manipulative and controlling Malcolm; and more recently just with her mother. A recovering alcoholic, she stumbles upon a potentially very lucrative career as an author of erotic fiction - or rather, erotic fact, with Jacqueline as her muse!

Loretta (Series 9-10)

Sheron's mum, Loretta is a short-tempered, cantankerous, suspicious and cynical woman. In short - a bitch. Somewhere deep down she does love her family, but she's got a very funny way of showing it.

Not too dissimilar from the crass and selfish father of her son-in-law, they've never got on, but she and Eddie Dawson eventually find the odd patch of common ground. In between continued antagonism, of course.

Joey Ellis (Series 8-10)

Joey first visits Benidorm whilst on holiday with Tiger, and later brings his own friend, Callum.

Joey is the most decent guy anyone could wish to meet, but to call him naive, simple and easily manipulated wouldn't even begin to cover it.

Callum (Series 10)

Callum is Joey's mate, and Series 10 sees him on his first ever holiday. Ever.

He walks the walk and talks the talk, but Callum has a secret: he's actually still a virgin.

Cyd (Series 10)

Cyd is Rob's new South American girlfriend in Series 10. Very sweet and very pretty, both Rob's father and grandfather have trouble taking their eyes off her - but her own family could cause more of an issue to their burgeoning relationship.

Madge (Series 1-8)

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 the second series Madge acquired a new man called Mel, the owner of five sun bed shops and "Didsbury's answer to Julio Iglesias". He later became her husband.

Following the death of Mel, Madge finds herself heavily in debt at the start of Series 4... and with gangsters after her.

Mick Garvey (Series 1-7)

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 holidays abroad.

Mick likes to save money whenever he can. At the end of the first series he was prosecuted for benefit fraud!

He's been in trouble a few times, in the 2009 Summer Special he found himself in jail for punching his new father-in-law, and at the start of Series 6 had to spend time in customs whilst they decided whether Madge's tanning pills were illegal drugs.

He still doesn't like Madge much.

Janice Garvey (Series 1-7)

Janice is 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!

During the second series Janice got very upset with Mick for forgetting their anniversary and when a young barman called Jack started to flirt with her, she goes for it in a moment of madness!

Despite the rocky patch, Janice and Mick are still in love... even if they don't often show it.

Michael Garvey (Series 1-7)

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 was still preying on the mind of Kate!

Like all young children, Michael was quite a bundle of energy when on holiday and so could be hard for Mick and Janice to contain at times. Michael's frequent requests to visit the beach certainly annoyed Mick.

Michael is now growing up fast... and, hitting his teens, is starting to become a handful.

The Oracle (Series 1-3 & 7-9)

'Rotund', 'anally retentive', 'spoilt' and 'frustrated' are four words you could use to describe Geoff Maltby.

Known as 'The Oracle' because of his computer-like knowledge of trivial facts and figures, Geoff holidayed at The Solana Apartments for many years with his mother (although in the early days he wanted everyone to think she was his Personal Assistant). He disappeared for a few years, but now he's back.

Geoff is a Lancashire pub quiz champion. Never far from a competition, a wager or just an argument, Geoff often organises holiday pursuits. These have included an arm-wrestling competition and a beach-side sporting activity which had near fatal results.

Donald Stewart (Series 1-6)

Donald was definitely an innocent free sprit. From Spanish threesomes to dogging on the beach, it was sun, sea and sex all the way for Scottish Donald, but more importantly for him: it was all inclusive!

As a regular at The Santiago with his wife, Donald had been coming to Benidorm for twenty years. He hardly ever bothered to venture into the city as everything he wanted was provided for free in the Solana Resort - all the inclusive food, drink and sex and swinger could want!

Donald got involved in most activities around the pool - he liked to pack his day with as much as possible and managed to do all sorts, usually before breakfast. He also got involved in as many evening activities as he could too, if you know what we mean!

Sadly, Donald has now died. In Series 8 his wife brings his ashes to Benidorm.

Martin Weedon (Series 1-3 & 6)

Anxious and timid Martin was constantly trying to please his wife Kate. Their marriage seemed to always be going through a rough patch and it took Martin five seconds to realise that the Solana Resort was the very worst place for them to make a fresh start when they arrived in Series 1.

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 (Mateo), Martin decides it's time to stand up for himself and become a real man. If it's alright with Kate, that is!

In Series 3 Martin arrives at The Solana without Kate - it seems he has dumped her. He now has a new travel companion instead. However, Kate does later turn up.

The Weedon's decided not to holiday in Benidorm for a fourth year, so we don't see them togeter any more... however Martin does turn up again in Series 6 whilst on a stag do, and he's now a single man.

Kate Weedon (Series 1-3)

Snobby and spoilt, Kate was 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 2, Kate and Martin were quite smug when arriving in Spain as they had booked themselves into a much nicer hotel in a lovely area. However things go wrong, and soon Kate cannot believe it but she finds herself back at 'the resort from hell!'

In the 2009 special Kate and Martin were rewarded with the news that they had managed to conceive... or had they? They were up against some pretty shady odds!

Gavin (Series 1-5)

Gavin is devoted to Troy. He's been in a relationship with Troy for 15 years when they first arrive.

The pair have a successful hair salon in Derby. In the earlier series, the catty couple could usually be found passing judgement on their fellow holidaymakers, before regaling their clients with the gossip over a blow-dry back home in their hair salon.

Troy (Series 1-4 & 8-9)

Series 1 saw Troy and his partner Gavin 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 liked to think that they were far too classy for Benidorm, but were actually happy enough to get drunk and snigger at the other holiday makers. They like front row seats at a scandal, and Benidorm is the place to be for that.

Troy always tried to make the best of any situation, and loved meeting all the weird and wonderful characters in the hotel. The karaoke certainly provides him with plenty of laughing opportunities.

We don't see Troy in Series 4 as he is at home looking after his ill dad, and we don't see him in Series 5 either as he is too busy at the salon to come on holiday. Neither Troy or Gavin come on holiday in Series 6 or Series 7, but Troy is back in Series 8.

Chantelle Garvey (Series 1-3)

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... it turns out she is heavily pregnant!

In the later series, Chantelle has baby Coolio in tow (she named him after the famous rapper). Telle doesn't actually seem that interested in 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!). In the past, the young mother has been 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!

Janey York (Series 1-5 & 7)

Janey is sometimes the shift manager at The Solana Resort. She is a surly Liverpudlian who doesn't take any nonsense from the guests, or Mateo. It is often her job to organise entertainment around the hotel and the day trips too.

Janey also often ends acting as spokesperson for the hotel - which means she's got quite good at apologising without really meaning it.

Tiger Dyke (Series 6-9)

Tiger is a bit of a trouble maker and causes conflict between the Dyke and Garvey families because he keeps leading young Michael astray.

In just the first few days of the holiday, Tiger manages to get Michael drunk, help him get a tattoo and involves him in a plan to steal the Solana's all inclusive wristbands and sell them in town.

In Series 8, Tiger is on holiday without his family but has friend Joey in tow.

Clive Dyke (Series 6-7)

Short and round, Clive is fairly well off and used to having the good life. He can shout loudly when he doesn't get what he wants.

He comes on holiday with his family in Series 6 expecting The Solana to be a four star hotel... so he's shocked to discover it doesn't even have wi-fi. They end up staying though when Joyce offers him a big discount.

As the series continues we start to learn that Clive's construction business might not be quite as profitable as it used to be. In Series 7, Tonya and Clive are on a break so it's just Clive on holiday.

Tonya Dyke (Series 6)

Be careful how you pronounce Tonya's name... as she doesn't like it at all when people get it wrong.

It's a bit of a puzzle why the tall and glamorous Tonya married Clive... it must have something to do with his money!

Bianca Dyke (Series 6)

Bianca is the daughter of Clive and Tonya. She arrives at the holiday resort having been dumped by her boyfriend.

Being a young and attractive young lady, it isn't long before she catches the eye of various members of staff and holidaymakers... Liam in particular gets a rather big crush on her when he spots her across the pool, however she ends up going on a date with Martin.

Mel (Series 2-3)

Mel was the thong-wearing love interest of Madge. He was a dour, working class businessman who often bored people with stories of his achievements.

It is Mel who whisked Madge and her family away for a foreign holiday in Series 2. Little did Madge realise that, only two days into her holiday, accident-prone Mel would ask her to marry him.

Mick and his new father-in-law didn't really get on... however, when Mel mounted a helicopter rescue to save Janice and Madge from a roof top kidnapper, Mick started to warm to him... but only briefly.

In the third series, Mel extended his sunbed business by going international with the launch Mel's Mobility Shop in Benidorm. However, Mel never made it back from a business trip and it is revealed in the Christmas special that he has passed away. His death left Madge in some financial trouble.

Brandy (Series 3)

In Series 3, Martin arrives in Benidorm without his wife Kate... but with new friend Brandy in tow instead.

Kate's disappearance is hot gossip amongst the holidaymakers... is loud-mouthed scouser Brandy the new female in Martin's life?

Natalie (Series 4)

Calm and relaxed, good looking Natalie - a friend of Sam - attracts the interest of Liam in Series 4. She's not quite sure what she thinks of him and his romantic advances... but she does recognise that Liam makes her laugh.

It seems Natalie and Mateo linked up on a previous holiday, but Natalie definitely isn't interested in the waiter any longer.

Trudy (Series 5)

Trudy is Sam's friend, and she comes on holiday with her in Series 5. They both make it their mission to have a wild holiday!

Trudy was hungry for 24 hour fun and determined not to let anything stand in her way of achieving that. She was hoping to get intimate with Mateo and even pretended to drown in the pool while he was on duty as a life-guard in the hope he'd whisk her off her feet.

Glynn Flint (Series 7)

Glynn arrives at the Solana Resort on a 'holiday wife swap' with Jacqueline Stewart whilst her husband Donald was on holiday with Glynn's wife Rhiannon.

Terri (Series 7)

Terri is the sister of Clive Dyke and joins him on holiday in Benidorm in Series 7. She's loud, brash and looking for fun. Mateo catches her eye and she wastes no time in trying her luck with him.

Jodie Dawson (Series 8-9)

Jodie is a mummy's princess. Whatever she wants, she gets. There are two sides to her... one of which seems to involve an American accent.

Amber (Series 8)

Amber is the attractive new barmaid at the Solana. Unsurprisingly, she soon catches the eye of a number of the males in the resort.