Benidorm creator Derren Litten has quit writing comedies to open a karaoke bar in the resort where the ITV sitcom was based.
He is calling the club Mateo’s after the ITV show’s greasy romeo barman, and he has promised that cast members including Jake Canuso himself will pop up.
Referring to his latest canned BBC show, he told fans on Twitter: “I genuinely thought Scarborough was some of my best work and if it’s not what TV channels are looking for then maybe I should do something completely different.
“So I made a decision to step away from making TV programmes for a while.”
ITV cancelled Benidorm in 2018 after 10 series. And the BBC axed his last effort Scarborough, starring Jason Manford and Catherine Tyldesley, after one run.
Derren came up with his karaoke bar project in the Spanish resort adored by Brits – just like Neptune’s from Benidorm – after rifling through his storage units and finding old props from the programme.
(Image: 2018 Getty Images)
He added: “I thought about the things I like.
“I like Benidorm, I like drinking, I like karaoke, I like socialising. How could I make a living from all of that?
“Looking at all the props and costumes, it struck me how people would love to see all this stuff and maybe have a drink and a sing-song.
“That’s when I first got excited about the idea of opening a karaoke bar in Benidorm.”
(Image: TV Grab)
The opening date of April 10 has been delayed with Spain in lockdown because of the coronavirus crisis.
But Derren vowed that fans will not be disappointed when it does launch.
He said: “We will open at some point. Holidaymakers can view amazing memorabilia, have their picture taken in Mel’s thong or with the original Neptune’s sign, try a Madge cocktail or maybe sing a song from the show.
“We’ll have regular celebrity guest appearances including Mateo himself.”
