ITV sitcom Benidorm is set to return for an 11th series — eight years after it was brutally axed.
Channel bosses are in secret talks over a comeback for the award-winning series about Brits abroad, with hopes of reuniting the all-star cast.
Favourites included Tim Healy’s cross-dressing bartender Les, and loud-mouth matriarch Madge Harvey, played by Sheila Reid — who chain-smoked while driving around the resort on her mobility scooter.
, who played hotel manager Joyce Temple-Savage, has been approached — letting slip in a podcast: “ is coming back.”;
A source said: “Benidorm was adored by millions when it was suddenly cancelled. Fans will be thrilled to hear ITV wants to bring it back.
“An 11th series hasn’t been commissioned yet, but there’s major excitement building as early talks begin.
“Producers have started to reach out to the show’s stars and are hopeful a decision can be made later this year.”;
Benidorm, which was first aired in 2007, was — two months before winning Best Comedy at the .
Creator Derren Litten slammed , telling the crowd as he picked up the gong: “This is a bit awkward, the show’s just been cancelled.”;
He added sarcastically: “I’ve huge respect for ITV — a show that’s getting five and a half million viewers and still picking up awards, but they’ve cancelled it. That takes balls.”;
Six months ago, Derren — who has been working as a DJ in in recent years — launched a group promising superfans “exclusive Benidorm pictures, videos, gossip and exclusive content not shown anywhere else”;.
He fuelled speculation of a Benidorm spin-off when he said he was returning to writing for TV and .
The sitcom hilariously portrayed British holidaymakers mixing with quirky staff at the Solana all-inclusive resort in .
Stars included , Steve Pemberton, and — plus cameos from and .
ITV were said to have after being “disappointed”; only 4.3 million fans tuned in for the 10th series opener, a 400,000 drop on the previous year’s launch.
Bosses said the series had “run its course”;, claiming the time was right to let it go out while still ITV’s longest-running comedy.
But it gained a new lease of life after being added to the streaming service — reaching a new generation of fans.
