Benidorm

Sherrie Hewson has revealed which of her Loose Women co-stars jokingly kicked her under the table when she recently went back to the ITV chat show panel after almost a decade away

Sherrie Hewson has claimed that a Loose Women star kicked her under the table. The actress spent more than a decade on the panel of ITV’s lunchtime panel show, putting the world to rights alongside other long-serving stars such as Jane McDonald, Carol McGiffin, and Denise Welch, amongst a whole host of other familiar television faces. The actress, 75, was probably best known for starring as Maureen Holdsworth on Coronation Street in the late 1990s when she landed the job, and was yet to experience further success as hotelier Joyce Temple-Savage on the sunny sitcom Benidorm.

The former Emmerdale star announced in 2016 that she would be stepping down from the panel after a total of 13 years on air, having worked alongside anchors such as Andrea McLean, Carol Vorderman and Kate Thornton, and had appeared in more than 800 episodes by the time she left.

She has now claimed that while she did have intense debates with co-stars like Janet Street-Porter, everything was normally okay once the cameras stopped rolling, but she returned a few months ago for a guest appearance and was ‘kicked’ under the table by one long-serving star in particular.

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She said: “I don’t recall anyone back then being offended by what we said or did. Nobody was rude. Yes, we had rows. I had awful ding-dongs with Janet Street Porter – I’d tell her to shut up because I thought she was talking rubbish. But we’d both end up laughing and thinking it was very funny. She was talking rubbish – and maybe I was, too!

“But you have rows and you make up – that’s life! It was never about deliberately creating an argument for the sake of it, like you get on some shows. I don’t mean about it being horrible and nasty, but like: ‘Do you know what? I don’t agree with you. Let’s agree to disagree’. We all have different opinions. And we should be allowed to say them!

“I went on Loose Women a few months ago and I said something slightly outrageous – can’t remember what it was now – and Coleen [Nolan] kicked me under the table!”

During a chat with The Sun, Sherrie went on to say that she told I’m In The Mood For Dancing songstress to not do that to her, and recalled that Coleen simply replied: “But I like kicking you.” But she insisted that was the “kind of banter” that was needed and insisted that there was “no hard feelings” between herself and the former Dancing On Ice star.

The actress recently spoke out about the much-discussed revival of Benidorm, which initially ran from 2007 until 2018 and also featured the likes of Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran, and Tony Maudsley amongst its stellar cast. Several big-name guest stars also made an appearance over the years, including Dame Joan Collins, Hi-de-Hi legend Su Pollard and the late Cilla Black.

On the subject of a comeback, Sherrie told the Mirror: “We’re always the last to know when it comes to Benidorm! But wouldn’t it be brilliant? It would be fabulous, wouldn’t it? It still gets great ratings you know, I sit and watch it all the time! I don’t know the answer to if it’s coming back but of course I’m up for it.

“I was lucky because Joyce was a brilliantly written part. Derren Litten could really write for women and you can’t say that about a lot of people.

“He wrote that part and it was such an amazing gift. I had so many incredible years on that show – five months in Benidorm every year, you can’t get better than that, can you? I’d jump on the plane now if they were bringing it back.

“We had the likes of Martin Kemp, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Bananarama, and Tony Hadley come out. None of them wanted to go home. Of course I want to do it again, and it’s the same with Corrie. I’d love to link up with Tony Maudsley [George Shuttleworth] who played Kenneth in Benidorm, could you imagine?”

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Despite reports of tourists being driven away from Spain by protestors, one Spanish airport has reportedly seen a rise in the number of passengers passing through, with a third coming from the UK

Warnings of Spanish ghost towns and holidaymakers ditching the country do not apply for one popular region where visitor numbers are spiking.

A Spanish airport in the popular Costa Blanca region has reported its tenth consecutive record-breaking month for passenger numbers, almost surpassing last year’s passenger total with a fair few weeks remaining in 2025.

Alicante-Elche Airport welcomed 1.9 million passengers in October, an increase of 5.9% compared to last year, and 631,771 of those passengers were Brits, representing over a third of passenger traffic. This was followed by Germany, which represented 129,127 passengers and the Netherlands with 118,996.

So far in 2025, the airport has had 17.2 million people pass through its doors, and it’s estimated it could reach the 20 million mark by the end of the year, according to Spanish expat news outlet Olive Press. They also reported that the airport had its busiest October for flights yet with 11.931, an increase of 6.1% year on year.

Some of the additional traffic could be down to new routes opening up to Alicante. Ryanair recently announced new connections to and from Cardiff, Aberdeen, Bratislava, Linz, Salzburg, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszow, Stockholm Västerås, Småland, and Lanzarote.

Ryanair also added additional flights on 29 of their existing Alicante routes for its winter 2025 schedule, noting the destination’s popularity during the colder months. The airport is serviced by several budget airlines popular with Brits including easyJet, Jet2, Vueling, and Wizz Air, making it easily accessible from across the UK.

Alicante-Elche is the fifth busiest airport in Spain, and the largest in the Valencian Community. One of the reasons it’s a popular destination for Brits is its close proximity to Benidorm, with a direct bus from the airport to the holiday hotspot taking just 45 minutes.

It’s also just 20 minutes away from the centre of Alicante, which has cultural attractions and beautiful beaches. The Telegraph dubbed Alicante ‘Spain’s most underrated city break’ in a 2024 article.

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The news comes amid speculation that the anti-tourism protests of 2023 and 2024 would deter tourists from taking Spanish holidays. While the majority of protests took place in cities such as Barcelona and on island locations like Majorca, it was speculated that anti-tourist sentiment could lead visitors to choose alternative destinations, such as Greece or Turkey.

Benidorm has also implemented some strict restrictions to keep rowdy Brits under control. Swimming in the sea is banned between the hours of midnight and 7am, with fines between €300 and €1,500 ( approx. £255 – £1,278). Reserving your spot can also land you in trouble, with sunbeds, towels, or umbrellas left on the sand before 9.30am removed, and potential fines of up to €250 (about £220.33) for leaving your belongings behind.

Smoking and vaping have also been banned from the beach, with reports of fines reaching the thousands.

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As the UK is hit by cold and wet weather, many Brits are looking to escape the winter blues by booking a last-minute holiday abroad – and one travel expert has shared his top recommendations

The dreary, grey November conditions are prompting Britons to snap up last-minute breaks overseas, as sun-seekers desperately hunt for an escape from the winter gloom. For those yearning for warmth, there are loads of options for a scorching getaway that won’t empty your wallet.

Holiday-makers hunting for ideas might want to check out four suggestions from Rob Brooks, a travel guru and social media star with holiday firm On The Beach. Well-known online for dishing out money-saving travel tips, accommodation reviews, and getaway guidance, Rob has built up a massive fanbase on TikTok under the handle @Robonthebeach.

One of Rob’s latest clips was called ‘Where I’d go for a hot, cheap holiday.’

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Offering guidance to his 34k followers, he explained: “Here are the four places that I can recommend for this November if you’re after a last-minute migration to escape the freezing cold here. I’ve seen loads of people asking recently, ‘Where’s hot in November?'”.

“But I think the real question is, ‘Where’s hot and cheap this November?’ Because sure, Dubai is lovely, and Thailand’s boiling, but can any of us actually afford that on short notice? So I’ve gone through the booking trends, weather forecasts and our live pricing to find four places I’d actually recommend this November for a warm, good value escape.”

Discussing his fourth choice, Rob revealed: “Costa Blanca. It’s not blazing hot, but it’s that lovely kind of jumper in the evening, t-shirt all day kind of weather. This November is looking like highs of 23 degrees, no rain, and loads of sunshine. Benidorm, Alicante, Calpe. They’re all ticking over lovely in November, but way quieter and way cheaper than summer. You can still swim in the sea and sit outside for dinner, there’s just less crowds there.”

He went on: “Antalya in Turkey. Still properly hot there, around 25 degrees most days, and it’s even warmer inland. While you’re soaking in the sun, your mates will be back home scraping ice off the windscreen.”

For his following suggestion, Rob remarked: “Tenerife, still hitting 27 degrees most days on the south coast. There’s loads of sunshine and the sea’s definitely warm enough to swim in. For me as well, November is actually one of the best times to go. Quieter beaches, lower prices, but still that proper Canaries heat.”

Wrapping up his recommendations, Rob concluded: “The number one place I’d recommend, Sharm El-Sheikh. If you want actual summer in November, this is it. It’s still 30 degrees every day. The Red Sea is like bathwater, and it’s one of the few places you can get an all-inclusive, proper luxury place for under £500 per person.”

The clip proved a hit with viewers, amassing thousands of likes. One person responded: “Malaga is always perfect in November.” Another user posted: “Just got back from Madeira last night. Can’t believe this wasn’t on your list.”

LIDOS are experiencing a resurgence of popularity across the UK and this one has been open since the 1800s.

For locals it’s been a peaceful spot for a morning swim, or a Full Moon dip, but now there’s talk of it becoming more like the busy resort town of Benidorm.

Havre des Pas Lido is open year-round for swimming and you’ll find it in Jersey, in the capital of St Helier.

The historic pool is tidal, meaning it fills with seawater at high tide and empties at low tide.

Currently, the lido also has a waterside beach kiosk and bar along with a rooftop bar, but it could all be about to change.

From 2026 First Point will take over as the lido’s operator, and one Constable Marcus Troy, senior partner at First Point, revealed he wants to make the bathing pool and surrounding area “a resort like Benidorm.”

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Talking to the BBC, he said: “So, we are going to be talking to all the catering and hospitality businesses in the area and creating our own map as if it’s a destination in its own right, like West Park and St Brelades. A resort like you would call Benidorm, for example.

“We aren’t the size of Benidorm, but we want more activity in general – whatever it is – volleyball, swimming competitions, galas, night time events, family amusements; we might like to put bouncy castles in the pool.”

First Point will take on the lease for nine years.

Plans to open the lido in St Helier began in 1860s when The Jersey Swimming Club was established and the group sought a safe swimming space on the British Isle.

Years later and the lido at Havre De Pas opened in May 1895 with a large pool and a circular tower, which had the changing rooms and club room.

It was very popular, especially between the 1920s and 30s which is why it saw lots more improvements and additions in the years that followed.

29 new cabins were built on the tower, and there was an extension to the club built called the Blue Terrace.

Now, inside the tower is a bar with an open kitchen, dance floor and stage as well as a balcony that overlooks the pool.

There’s a dining area too which has indoor tables or the choice to eat al fresco, plus there’s the rooftop which has live music and is an ideal location for a cocktail.

The venue at the lido can stay open until 1AM and has dubbed itself the ‘ultimate Private Party Island’.

Through the summer months, the Kiosk is open with lots of light bites, as well as pizzas, burgers, tacos, fish and chips and full English breakfast offerings.

The lido is just on the coast outside of the island’s capital of St Helier – and it’s a popular spot for locals and visitors too.

One visitor wrote in Tripadvisor: “What a fabulous place The Lido Havre de Pas is! Beautiful views over the bay and to watch the people swimming in the gorgeous Lido.

“Will definitely return when I go back on holiday there next year. Can’t recommend enough.”

Another simply branded it as a “good old fashioned historic Lido”.

Not everyone is happy after the announcement of the new operator.

After the news, LidoJersey took to social media to voice concerns about it and stated that the pool could and end up being a ‘bare shell‘

It said: “Unless this new entity wishes to negotiate with us, which hasn’t been done to date, the site will revert to a bare shell, just as it was when we took it over in 2015.”

It added that this would mean there would be no licence for alcohol, entertainment, marriage of infrastructure like the kiosk, commercial kitchen and bar area.

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Plus, check out the huge new Olympic-sized lido could open in UK city with sauna pods and ‘clubhouse’.

And here’s the UK’s biggest indoor tropical waterpark where it’s always 30C – and you can stay all day.

Britain’s oldest lido may never reopen despite £9.3million of repairs…

The UK’s oldest lido could never reopen despite years of renovation works, costing millions.

Cleveland Pools in Bath, which was built in 1815 and is the country’s oldest, may never reopen to the public again.

It was open for just four months in 2023 after receiving £9.3 million for a revamp. But it hasn’t reopened since, and it might never do so.

The trustees of the restored lido revealed in a report that it “might not be possible” to reopen the pool, according to the BBC.

The report stated: “The risk that the cost to repair the pools and the plantroom will be substantial and beyond the resources available to the trust.

“There is therefore a risk that the pools cannot be repaired and reopened.

“To mitigate against this risk the trust is exploring all potential avenues that would allow the pools to be repaired and reopened, including but not limited to legal recourse and external funding.”

Cleveland Pools is a Grade II listed lido, and is considered the oldest outdoor swimming pool in the UK.

It opened in the early 1800s and closed in 1984. It then took a huge campaign by the public, and almost £10million to reopen the lido in September 2023.