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| Johnny Vegas on The Graham Norton Show |
On Monday night Johnny Vegas was a guest on Graham Norton’s show, along with Alison Moyet and David Tennant. During this edited show Johnny said some surprising things about Benidorm (the holiday destination). When asked by Graham Norton how many months he worked in Benidorm (for series 3) Johnny said, “three”.
Graham: That’s a long time in Benidorm isn’t it?
Johnny: It is in Benidorm yeah. Have you been there? (Johnny’s face at this point looked less than enthusiastic)
Graham: No. (With an “of course not” expression)
David Tennant: Is it like Blackpool?
Johnny: No, everyone goes, y’know, it’s like the Blackpool of Spain and y’go, no it’s not… I’ve had fun in Blackpool. It’s like Christmas every day. But Christmas… in an asylum. Every day. It’s, it’s, there’s too much temptation, there’s too many mad people, it’s, it’s not a healthy place to be with my fragile personality.
Slightly later Johnny relented a little by saying ” Benidorm’s lovely, it is what it is…” and then talked about ex pats in Benidorm complaining about foreigners in their own country as a reason to why they left England. I’m not going to dwell on that bit because it was quite obviously part of a routine (whether it’s in his stand up act or not I don’t know but I’ve heard him say it on another chat show so it’s ‘material’, and I do think it’s funny; I’m sure many ex pats will be offended but I for one know it’s sometimes difficult to write good comedy without offending someone, somewhere).
What I do have a problem with is Johnny painting Benidorm as this horrific, unspeakable place where it’s impossible to have fun. Something millions of returning holiday makers to Benidorm every year would disagree with. Yes, I understand he was suggesting it’s impossible for him to have fun there (something which was far from apparent to me during filming) but I think the problem here is if the general public think Johnny Vegas can’t have fun in Benidorm what hope do others have?
This also comes after shooting Benidorm 3 where, one night, Johnny confided in me, “all my friends are embarrassed I’m in this show”. I didn’t really have an answer to that. I still don’t.
I don’t think it’s strange that I don’t know Johnny after working on the same show as him for 3 years, some work colleagues you get to know well, others you don’t, but I feel really let down by him after this as do many Benidorm holiday makers, workers and residents who have contacted me in the last 24hrs, offended by Johnny Vegas’s words on The Graham Norton Show.
I suppose the final insult during the interview was Johnny then plugging his new DVD, ‘Johnny Vegas Live at The Benidorm Palace’. Johnny called me months ago and asked me if he could have my blessing for him to make a stand up DVD in Benidorm (obviously cashing in on the success of my show). I did give him my blessing but now I just wish he’d made it some place where he could have had a bit more fun.
