Benidorm's most flamboyant double act Tony Maudsley and Adam Gillen reveal what’s new for reunited hairdressers Kenneth and Liam at the Solana, including a shock tussle with Nigel Havers...
What's On TV were invited to the Spanish set of Benidorm last summer where we met Tony Maudsley (Kenneth) and Adam Gillen (Liam) after they'd just finished filming inside the Blow N' Go salon. Here, the lively pair give us the lowdown on Kenneth and Liam's antics in the ninth series of Benidorm...
The last time we saw Liam, he returned from working in Madrid. Has he changed now he’s back in the Blow N’ Go salon with Kenneth? Adam: ‘He’s a bit more grown up and on top of things. He’s also more skilled with the scissors and perming irons! But I love being back on the show – I forgot how much fun it is!’
Are there any tensions at the salon? Tony: "Yes, it’s all change at Blow N’ Go. Last year it was just Kenneth and Troy, but now Liam’s back there are some split decisions and sides to be taken. We’ve also got batty swinger Jacqueline joining us there, too, so there are four of us now. It’s just like a little soap opera!"
Which guest stars have you filmed with? Tony: "Ohhh. Nigel Havers! We had such a laugh with him, didn’t we? Telling us all his dirty secrets from the 1970s." Adam: "He’s so chilled and cool…" Tony: "He’s so posh, too." Adam: "We thought he’d be snooty, but he wasn’t." Tony: "He was so much fun and he found Benidorm hilarious. He went for a walk along the beach front and came back and said in amazement: ‘I couldn’t believe it, there was a man with a bucket of chips, and another man had chicken in his hand!’ He'd probably just walked past KFC! I want him to come back. I want him to be a regular. He plays a dentist, who's really conniving and smooth."
So Nigel Havers guest stars in the first episode, playing a dentist called Stanley. What was it like working with him? Tony: "The story is that Kenneth bizarrely inherits some false teeth and Stanley offers him a lot of money for them. Liam and Kenneth end up having a fight with him and the teeth smash on the floor. I couldn’t believe I was having a fight with Nigel Havers!"
Liam and Kenneth also become flatmates this series. How is that? Tony: "Briefly! Then we have a big fallout and then we get back together – it’s like Gone with the Wind."Adam: "But it’s a vile flat and they fall out about four times because Kenneth keeps leaving pizza boxes down the side of the bed!" Tony: "There was something about tissues, too, but I can’t remember what that was about. It’s highly suggestive."
Do you sing much at Neptunes together this series?Tony: "Not this time." Adam: "I love singing at Neptunes. It’s fun. The first time I did it, I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t sleep the night before. But it’s like a badge of honour when you first do it."
Liam has an adventure in the dinosaur park…tell us about that? Adam: "He does. He has an inherent fear of dinosaurs since he was a three year old boy, so he tries to cure himself by plunging into the dino park experience, and all the sights and sounds of these animatronic dinosaurs. It culminates in a massive fight with two men dressed up as dinosaurs. It was a laugh, but exhausting actually fighting in a sand pit. I haven’t quite got over it."
Liam’s lovably known for his terrible fashion sense. Has he toned it down at all? Adam: "His outfits are becoming a bit more mainstream, although I’m currently wearing a blouse, which isn’t so mainstream!" Tony: "He’s got a grown up beard this time – it’s as though he’s been through puberty while he’s been away! But it’s lovely having him back. It wasn’t the same without him last series."
Later in the series the pair try to set Jacqueline up on a date with Eddie Dawson, don’t they? Tony: "We all mother her a little bit because it’s two years now since Donald died. We think it’s time for her to spread her wings again, but she’s a bit nervous and feeling a bit old and frumpy. So we try to pull her back out of that. It’s quite lovely really."
https://youtu.be/tas867fRzUQ
Benidorm Series 9 premieres on ITV, Wednesday March 1 at 9pm
