Benidorm - Christmas Special - 9:00 pm Thursday, December 25 on That's TV

Jake Canuso (Actor) .. Mateo

Born: January 13, 1970 in Near Zurich

Best Known For: Playing barman Mateo in Benidorm.

Early-life: Born Carmine Canuso near Zurich on January 13, 1970 to Italian parents. By the age of 16, he was the youngest member of Zurich's leading contemporary dance company. He performed on the stage and in TV shows in Paris before spending a year in London training at the London Studio Centre. After finishing the course, he trained and performed in New York. He returned to Paris and got to work with Roman Polanski in a piece at the Opera de Bastille.

Career: After settling in London, Canuso danced on tour with a number of artists, including Take That, East 17, Elton John, the Spice Girls and Annie Lennox. He also performed on various TV shows such as the Les Dawson Show, the Royal Variety Performance and Top of the Pops. Canuso eventually made the move into acting and his TV credits include guest appearances in Hustle, Heartbeat, Casualty, Doctors, Shameless, The Hour and Bad Education. He is best known for playing barman Mateo in ITV sitcom Benidorm. On the big screen, he has appeared in Kinky Boots (2005), Journal of a Contract Killer (2008), City Rats (2009) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Quote: On his Benidorm character: "I don't think there are many similarities between me and Mateo actually. We are quite far apart as people."

Trivia: He speaks six languages.

Janine Duvitski (Actor) .. Jacqueline Stewart

Best Known For: Waiting for God, One Foot in the Grave and Benidorm.

Early-life: Born Christine Janine Drzewicki in Morecambe in June 1952 to an English mother and a Polish father. She moved to London to train as an actor at the East 15 Acting School. Her first TV credit was an episode of Z Cars in 1972. After finishing her training and despite being in her early 20s, she landed the role of a 13-year-old girl in the 1975 BBC play Diane. Her big break came in 1977 when Mike Leigh cast her in his stage play Abigail's Party. She went on to play the same role in an abridged TV version for the BBC.

Career: Duvitski has worked steadily on TV in a number of shows, popping up in the likes of Citizen Smith, Minder, Cowboys, The New Statesman, Midsomer Murders, Foyle's War and Little Dorrit. Her face is better known to audiences as prudish assistant Jane in Waiting for God, Victor and Margaret's neighbour Pippa in One Foot in the Grave and swinger Jacqueline in Benidorm. She has also appeared on the big screen in Dracula (1979), Breaking Glass (1980) and The Madness of King George (1994).

Quote: "People really do seem to believe I'm a swinger!"

Trivia: Duvitski enjoys reading when she's not filming.

Siobhan Finneran (Actor) .. Janice Garvey

Tim Healy (Actor) .. Les/Lesley

Born: January 29, 1952 in Newcastle upon Tyne

Best Known For: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

Early-life: Timothy Malcolm Healy was born on January 29, 1952, in Newcastle upon Tyne. Before becoming an actor, he served an apprenticeship as a welder at the Caterpillar Tractor Co and spent three years as a paratrooper in the British Army. He started his showbusiness career in 1972 as a stand-up comedian.

Career: After a number of minor roles on TV, his big break came in 1983 when he landed the part of Dennis Patterson in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. The hugely popular comedy drama returned for a second series in 1986 and further new episodes were broadcast in 2002 and 2004. Healy has been an ever-present face on British TV since the success of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and he has appeared in a number of shows, including Boys from the Bush, Common As Muck, The Grand, Catterick and Coronation Street. Healy has also had an accomplished stage career. He was a founder member of Live Theatre in Newcastle in the 1970s and he has played everything from Dame Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk to Sir Toby Belch in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for his role as the dad in the West End version of Billy Elliot. He played transvestite Les/Lesley in the third series of ITV sitcom Benidorm and became a regular in series four.

Quote: "I love the freedom that a bike gives you, the open road. Plus, when I´ve got my helmet on, nobody knows who I am."

Kenny Ireland (Actor) .. Donald Stewart

Born: August 07, 1945 in Paisley

Best Known For: Being an actor and theatre director.

Early-life: Kenny was born in Paisley in 1947. His first TV credit was an episode of crime drama Strangers in 1980. He went on to become a regular fixture on TV, popping up in the likes of C.A.T.S. Eyes, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Life Without George. He also starred on the big screen in Local Hero (1983).

Career: Ireland had a notable career in the theatre, spending 10 years as the director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company in Edinburgh. His stage directing credits included Guys & Dolls, Much Ado About Nothing, Of Mice and Men, Waiting for Godot and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Always in demand as a character actor, his TV credits included guest appearances in Drop the Dead Donkey, House of Cards, Taggart, Monarch of the Glen, Heartbeat, New Tricks and Midsomer Murders. He played swinger Donald Stewart in ITV comedy Benidorm between 2007 and 2014. He died on July 31, 2014 at the age of 68 following a long battle with cancer.

Quote: "Filming Benidorm is like a big holiday. All your friends want to come out and visit!"

Trivia: When he was not directing or acting, Ireland enjoyed playing backgammon.

Elsie Kelly (Actor) .. Noreen

Steve Pemberton (Actor) .. Mick Garvey

Born: September 01, 1967 in Blackburn

Best Known For: The League of Gentlemen and Benidorm.

Early-life: Steve James Pemberton was born on September 1, 1967, in Blackburn, Lancashire. He first realised he wanted to be an actor while still at school, and his first role was playing Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Chorley Little Theatre - although he admits he was the only boy who auditioned. Following his A levels, he gained a Theatre Arts degree from Bretton Hall College in Yorkshire, where he met Reece Shearsmith and Mark Gatiss who, along with Jeremy Dyson, became The League of Gentlemen.

Career: Pemberton began his professional career on stage, but suffered a setback when he had a heart attack at the age of 25 while working in Germany. He went on to feature in Ken Russell's Alice in RussiaLand in 1995, but it was The League of Gentleman that was his first major success, first on radio, then on TV and film. He also appeared in the remake of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), Gormenghast, Shameless, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and Blackpool. The latter co-starred David Tennant, and the duo were reunited in 2008 for a two-part Doctor Who adventure. Other projects include the Woody Allen film Match Point, Lassie, Psychoville, and Benidorm.

Quote: On his favourite League of Gentlemen character: "I miss Pauline from the job centre the most. It was scary when I put on the costume and the wig and the lips. It was like being possessed."

Sheila Reid (Actor) .. Madge

Born: December 21, 1937 in Glasgow

Best Known For: Playing the perma-tanned Madge Harvey in Benidorm.

Early-life: Sheila was born in Glasgow on December 21, 1937. She made her TV debut as an assistant librarian in a 1960 edition of Armchair Theatre. During the 1960s she starred in two National Theatre productions directed by Laurence Olivier, The Crucible and Three Sisters.

Career: During a long and distinguished acting career, Reid has balanced roles on the stage with guest appearances in a wide variety of TV shows, including The Sweeney, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, All Creatures Great and Small, Taggart, Midsomer Murders, The Bill, Casualty and Doctor Who. She has also starred on the big screen in Brazil (1985), Felicia's Journey (1999) and The Winter Guest (1997). Fame came to her late in life thanks to her role as mobility scooter-driving chain-smoker Madge Harvey in the hugely popular ITV sitcom Benidorm.

Quote: On her success in Benidorm: "It is constantly surprising to me but it's very nice to be appreciated and it has been huge fun to play Madge."

Trivia: While her character in Benidorm is always puffing on a cigarette, Reid is a non-smoking vegetarian who practises yoga every day.

Crissy Rock (Actor) .. Janey York

Oliver Stokes (Actor) .. Michael Garvey

Brian Murphy (Actor) .. Clive

Born: September 25, 1933 in Isle of Wight

Best Known For: Playing George Roper in Man About the House and George and Mildred.

Early-life: Brian was born on the Isle of Wight on September 25, 1933. During his national service at RAF Northwood, he met future actor Richard Briers. On leaving the RAF, Brian and Richard performed in productions by the Dramatic Society at what is now London South Bank University. Brian was also a member of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, with Yootha Joyce. During the 1960s and the early 1970s, Brian made guest appearances in a number of TV shows, including The Avengers, Z Cars, Sez Les, Callan, and Dixon of Dock Green.

Career: Murphy's big break came in 1974 when he began playing George Roper alongside Joyce in the sitcom Man About the House. Joyce played his long-suffering wife Mildred. The popularity of Murphy and Joyce's characters led to them starring in their own spin-off sitcom George and Mildred. The hugely popular series ran on ITV for five series until 1979 and ended after Joyce died in 1980. Murphy and Joyce also starred in a stage version of George and Mildred and a spin-off movie. Murphy went on to star in The Incredible Mr Tanner, L for Lester, Lame Ducks, One Foot in the Grave, the Booze Cruise TV movies, Last of the Summer Wine, and The Cafe.

Quote: "I was just coming up to 40 when Man About the House fell into my lap and turned everything around."

Trivia: Murphy and his wife, actress Linda Regan, have talked about their careers in An Audience with Linda Regan and Brian Murphy.

Su Pollard (Actor) .. Herself

Born: November 07, 1949 in Nottingham

Best Known For: Playing Peggy in Hi-de-Hi

Early-life: Born Susan Georgina Pollard in Nottingham in 1949. she discovered her love of performing at the age of six, when she appeared in a nativity play and made the audience laugh by falling down on stage. After leaving school at 16, Su worked as a secretary during the day, while singing in pubs and clubs during the evening, and also served an apprenticeship at Nottingham Arts Centre, before winning parts in the musicals including Godspell and Big Sin City.

Career: Su made her sitcom debut in Two Up, Two Down in 1978. It only lasted for one series, but the following year, she landed the role that would make her a household name _ chambermaid Peggy in Hi-de-Hi. The hugely successful comedy ran for nine years, and after it finished she reunited with writer David Croft again for the series You Rang M'Lord and Oh, Doctor Beeching! Since then, Su has also provided voices for the children series Penny Crayon and Little Robots, and has also worked extensively on stage, most recently in a touring production of Annie.

Quote: "I adore Lady GaGa's look. Like me she doesn't just wear the same boring frocks all those other stars wear on the red carpet."

Trivia: Away from acting, she reached number two in the charts with the single Starting Together, in 1986.

Louie Spence (Actor) .. Marvin

Born: April 06, 1969 in Enfield, London

Best Known For: Pineapple Dance Studios.

Early-life: Born on April 6, 1969, Louie grew up in Braintree, Essex. On the advice of a local dance teacher, Louie's parents took out a second mortgage to send him to the Italia Conti Performing Arts School. He landed his West End debut in Bugsy Malone at the age of 13. His talent was spotted by the London Studio Centre and he won a full three-year scholarship to go there. After graduating with full honours in all aspects of dance, Spence joined the cast of Miss Saigon, where he helped choreograph the show's acrobatic sequences.

Career: After a spell working in Italy, Spence returned to London to pursue a career as a commercial dancer. During the 1990s, he toured and worked with Take That, E17, Boyzone and Bjork and was one of only five male dancers selected to accompany the Spice Girls on their debut world tour. Further work in London followed when he joined the West End cast of Cats and the Pet Shop Boys's musical Closer to Heaven. After becoming disheartened by the West End's eight show weeks, he started Edit Agency at Pineapple Dance Studios, where he is currently Artistic Director. TV beckoned when Trouble TV cast him as their Boot Camp mentor for three series of Bump N Grind. Other TV work followed and his big break came on Sky1's fly-on-the-wall documentary series Pineapple Dance Studios. More recently, he was a judge on the seventh series of Dancing on Ice, alongside Robin Cousins and Katarina Witt. In August 2013, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house. In early 2015, he was a contestant on Channel 4 reality series The Jump.

Quote: "Like a rash darling, I spread myself everywhere."

Trivia: His autobiography, Still Got It, was published by HarperCollins in 2011.

Roy Wood (Actor) .. Himself

Richard Morris (Actor) .. Hotel manager

Fabio Tassone (Actor) .. Translator

Shaun Foster Conley (Actor) .. Himself

Asa Elliott (Actor) .. Himself

Derren Litten (Writer)

Ben Cavey (Producer)

John Henderson (Director)

Sophie Clarke-Jervoise (Executive producer)

Benidorm: Christmas Special

9:00 pm - 10:05 pm, Thursday, December 25 on That's TV (56)

About this Broadcast

Christmas Special
Season 4, Episode 1

Cast & Crew

More Information

Did You Know..

Before / After