SHOWBUSINESS croonerCosta del Hit TV comedy Benidorm is back on screen for a fourth series with famous Geordie couple Tim Healy and Denise Welch in hilarious roles. But the newest star is upcoming Wearside singer Shaun Foster Conley, playing himself. Michael Hamilton caught up with North East contingent he sun continues to shine Geordie transvestite Lesley, is now a Neptune’s bar nightspot have had fans - on ITV’s hit Spanish regular cast member, alongside popular including Tim’s sons Matthew, 21, and sitcom Benidorm. Award- perky pensioner Madge (Sheila Reid) Louis, 10 - in stitches. winning creator and writer with her daughter Janice (Siobhan And for this series Tim’s wife Denise Derren Litten celebrates Finneran) and son-in-law Mick Welch, muscled in on the action to secure BritsT abroad in this sun, sea and (Steve Pemberton). a part as Scary Mary, a tattooed mini- mobility scooters saga. The legendary Middlesbrough skirted crime queen. The intoxicating mix of loud Swingers Association couple Donald Auf Wiedersehen, Pet star Tim, 59, characters, cleverly observed humour (Kenny Ireland) and Jacqueline ( Janine said: ‘Denise was reading the scripts with and brilliant storylines has already won Duvitski) are also back at the all-inclu- me and loved it so much Derren wrote it two National Television Awards with sive value-for-money resort. her a part as well. Her character was this series clocking up eight million Lesley’s antics serving drinks on roller originally going to be a bloke and Derren regular viewers. skates around the pool bar at the ficti- rewrote it for her. We had a lot of fun Tim Healy, who appeared in the third tious Solana Hotel and belting out Lady doing it together. series in a cameo role as the loveable Gaga’s Poker Face in drag at the ‘We’re painting a real slice of life. northeast.greatbritishlife.co.uk NORTH EAST LIFE April 2011 00 SHOWBUSINESS laughing. I could skate all right, it was the stopping that proved to be a problem.’ Loose Women star Denise, 52, who also had a fantastic run in Dancing on Ice before finally being voted off in March, said: ‘I loved being in Benidorm. Scary Mary is so different to anyone else I’ve ever played.’ If ever a show defined the old adage about art imitating life then it’s Benidorm. And Sunderland singer Shaun Foster Conley should know - he has been a resident singer there for ten years before getting his big telly break. Shaun, who features in four episodes of the new run, says: ‘Benidorm is like a mini little England with all the Brits on holiday. That’s why the TV show is such a hit. It captures it exactly. It’s a really popular show and the recognition just keeps getting better and better for me. ‘It’s nice when people stop you in the street - that comes with the territory, but I haven’t changed. I’m still the same person I used to be.’ The 38-year-old father of two explains: ‘Derren wrote me in to the show as myself. He had been to see me perform out there - I didn’t know it at the time - and he fell in love with my voice, particu- larly an Al Martino song that I do called Here in My Heart. ‘He wrote a whole storyline around me when Madge thinks I’m Tom Jones singing at Neptune’s Bar.’ Denise Welch as mini-skirted crime queen Scary Mary with husband Tim Healy as tranny Lesley But the death of Geoffrey Hutchings, 71, who played Madge’s husband and dour businessman Mel, threw the whole show into chaos last July - just as they If you spend any time out there you will Tim says: ‘I had so many laughs. I’m were about to start filming. For Derren see these characters on mobility scooters. dressed up in a wonderful costume and I it meant rewriting almost the entire And there are more transvestites in look just like Lady Gaga, but with the series on the hoof. Benidorm than anywhere else in Europe. body and the head of an old bloke. Shaun says: ‘It was a massive shock to ‘There are lots of ways everyone. All the stars of to play a transvestite. The the show were at his thing about Lesley is ❝ Shaun: ‘Tim and Denise seemed to know funeral. Geoff became a everything about him is about me because of my singing and they were friend. He always had wrong apart from his time for me being the new heart. He’s a great bloke proud of the fact that I’m from the North East boy. I didn’t realise what a and a great dad - he’s just too. They are great ambassadors for the region ❞ respected actor he was dressed in women’s clothes. until they played this ‘I’ve tried to incorporate montage of stuff from his some of my heroes in Lesley. There’s the ‘I had a body double on the roller- career, at his funeral.’ Tommy Cooper laugh in there and I’ve skates for the first week until I Shaun was also delighted to be on drawn from Les Dawson.’ cracked it. There’s a few out- the same bill as Geordie acting stars There’s also a hint of Dick Emery’s takes where I totally lost Tim and Denise. drag queen act in his bow-legged waddle. control and went crashing ‘I’ve met Tim on many For this series Lesley also has his into Steve (Pemberton) occasions although I actually teenage son Liam (Adam Gillen) in tow, with a tray of drinks missed him on set who takes a shine to new girl Natalie and it took us about when he played (Kathryn Drysdale). half an hour to stop Lesley. I’ve met 00 NORTH EAST LIFE April 2011 northeast.greatbritishlife.co.uk Johnny Vegas and Shaun became pals in Benidorm Denise too. They seemed to know about I was playing the clubs. He was a bit ‘I wanted to be a footballer. My dream me because of my singing and they were wayward in those days. I had a few words was to play for Sunderland. I played for proud of the fact that I’m from the North with him about his behaviour and we Sunderland schoolboys but I didn’t make East too. They are great ambassadors for became good friends,’ says Shaun. the grade to play professionally.’ the region.’ Johnny says: ‘Shaun has a fantastic But music has always been in his blood. As well as striking up friendships with voice. He will be Dad Peter was lead Sheila and Geoffrey, Shaun also became very successful. He’s ❝ Tim: ‘We’re painting singer with Sixties pals with Johnny Vegas - who played a big talent with a group The Apaches Geoff Maltby in the third series and big voice.’ a real slice of life. If you and he grew up ended up on a bizarre blind date with In the show spend any time out there listening to country tranny Lesley. Shaun belts out hits and western music ‘I actually met Johnny years ago when from Tom Jones you will see these charac- and Elvis. he came out to Benidorm on holiday and including Sex Bomb, ters on mobility scooters. Shaun who lives in and like the Welsh Fence Houses, near singing legend he And there are more Houghton-le-Spring Madge (Sheila admits he too has with partner Angela Reid) thinks had knickers thrown transvestites in Benidorm and daughter Shaun is Tom Jones in the at him on stage than anywhere else in Robyn,14, and son hit ITV sitcom while doing his Fraser,10, says his cabaret act out in the Europe ❞ great sadness is that Spanish resort. his parents aren’t It’s all a far cry from his early days as around to see his TV success. an apprentice serving his time as a plater Mum Kathleen died in 1999, aged 51, at Austin and Pickersgill shipyard in the and dad Peter, two years ago, after Eighties. He would sing in the tanks suffering from kidney failure. because he liked the deep echo it gave ‘My dad was in hospital when I was his voice. filming and I flew back for a week. He ‘I thought I was on my own but there put a brave face on it and lied to me were always welders behind me throwing about how serious it was because he knew hammers at me and telling me to shut I wouldn’t have gone back if I had known me up,’ he recalls. the truth. He told the family not to tell ‘I never envisaged doing this for a me the worst. living. I went to Red House ‘I really miss him. He was my rock and Comprehensive and I wasn’t really into a real character in the town. I have singing at school. I did a bit of drama at dedicated a lot to their memory and school but I wasn’t very good at it - I they’ll be looking down on me up there forgot my lines and made a mess of it. proud of what I’ve achieved.’ ■ northeast.greatbritishlife.co.uk NORTH EAST LIFE April 2011 00.