Series 10 commissioned by ITV

ITV has commissioned a tenth series of Benidorm – with Hale & Pace joining the cast.

The veteran comedy duo will be playing the series as undercover detectives investigating Tim Healy’s character Les/Lesley, who returns to the series full-time. 

Healy,65,  fell into a coma from a mystery illness while filming the last series. He said it was hearing the music of his son Matt – who is in The 1975 – that brought him back around.

Shane Richie is also returning for four episodes as lively entertainer Sammy Valentino, and Only Fools and Horses star John Challis becomes a series regular with his character Monty Staines.

But Johnny Vegas will not be back as The Oracle. Troy (Paul Bazely) and Tiger (Danny Walters) also won’t be returning

The show’s creator Derren Litten will pen five of the new episodes, and Mark Brotherhood – who has previously worked on Shameless and Mount Pleasant – will write the rest.

Litten says: ‘When I wrote the first script of Benidorm I had no idea it would change my life so dramatically over the next 10 years.  

‘As I put the finishing touches to the 74th episode I am so grateful to our fans and to ITV for giving Benidorm the best possible home we could hope for.  Here's to the next ten years!’

Saskia Schuster, ITV’s comedy commissioner, added: ‘Benidorm is very much part of the ITV family with viewers taking these wonderful characters to their hearts. 

‘Derren Litten has some great plans for the tenth series, and it’s a real treat to welcome Hale and Pace and Shane Richie to the Solana resort.’

Production starts on the new series in Benidorm this month and it will air in 2018. 

Also returning are The Dawsons (Julie Graham, Steve Edge, Kate Fitzgerald, Bobby Knutt and Josh Bolt);  Joyce Temple Savage (Sherrie Hewson), Mateo (Jake Canuso), Noreen (Elsie Kelly), Pauline (Selina Griffiths), Liam (Adam Gillen), Kenneth (Tony Maudsley), Sam (Shelley Longworth), Joey (Nathan Bryon) and Jacqueline (Janine Duvitski).

Published: 2 Mar 2017