Benidorm star Jake Canuso is unrecognisable from his days as heartthrob Mateo and 21 years after near-death experience
He shot to fame in the early 2000s after starring in an iconic British sitcom.
Now, Jake Canuso - who played the ever-flirtatious barman Mateo in the hit series - looks completely unrecognisable seven years on, sporting long grey hair and beard stubble - and it seems he's been hitting the gym.
The actor and dancer played the hunky waiter since the show began in 2007 until 2018.
The Swiss-British actor, 55, holds the record as the show's longest-serving cast member, appearing in all 74 episodes.
Before his time on Benidorm, he was a professional dancer, touring with acts like the Spice Girls and Elton John, and even appearing as a ballet dancer in the music video for Annie Lennox 's No More I Love You's.
He later capitalised on his fame with a stint on the now-defunct reality show Splash! in 2013, where Tom Daley coached celebrities in diving.
When Benidorm ended, he was one of the castmates who took part in Derren Litten's Benidorm Live stage show, which toured the UK from September 2018 until April 2019 for 250 shows.
He also kept in close contact with creator Derren and bagged a role in his BBC One sitcom Scarborough, where he played the role of Tony Peroni in the 2019 series, before portraying Stewie in the television film My Bad.
Jake has also tried his hand at pantomimes, and in 2022, he appeared as Abanazar in Aladdin, which was staged at the Rhyl Pavilion Theatre.
Last year, he had a role in Brit gangster film Fyre Rises, alongside Marc Bannerman, but Mateo remains his best-known role to date, and he's even been honoured with a bar named after him in Benidorm.
The bar, owned by Derren Litten, is filled with memorabilia from the series, and stars, including Jake, have made special appearances.
These days, Jake connects with fans via Cameo, offering personalised videos in character as Mateo.
With five-star reviews and a cheeky tagline - 'Mateo from Benidorm at your services' - his videos start at £56 and are typically delivered within 24 hours.
In the run-up to Valentine's Day last year, he promoted the service saying: 'It's nearly Valentine's Day.
'Last chance to get a cheeky Valentines message from Benidorm's Barman Mateo. Check out the link and if you book today all messages will be done by tomorrow.'
In April this year, it was rumoured that Benidorm could be making a huge comeback, eight years after it was cancelled.
The sitcom is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, particularly on streaming platforms like Netflix.
A TV insider told The Sun: 'Benidorm was adored by millions when it was suddenly cancelled. Fans will be thrilled to hear ITV wants to bring it back.
'An 11th series hasn't been commissioned yet, but there's major excitement building as early talks begin.'
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