Lonely British pensioner, 86, is now Benidorm selfie celeb after pal posts heartwarming Facebook message
A lonely Brit who tragically lost his wife two years ago has become an internet sensation and a real-life celebrity after his friend posted about his solo holiday on a Facebook group.
Derek Flynn, originally from Rhyl, in Wales, decided to go on a solo holiday in Benidorm. His friend Nigel Hobdey, 61, who helped him book the trip and took him to Manchester Airport on February 5 then posted on Benidorm Seriously, a Facebook group, asking people in the holiday spot to keep an eye out for Derek.
Nigel’s post to the 160,000-strong community on Facebook read: “Tomorrow a friend of my mine called Derek who is 88 is coming to Benidorm on his own to the Pueblo from Manchester with jet 2. He loves Benidorm but sadly he is coming on his own as his wife passed away two years ago.
“He is fit as a fiddle and loves singing but like me sometimes forgets where he is and, loses his keys lol. He has assistance with jet 2 to help him through the airport and to the hotel, but me and his friends hope he is OK over there on his own. If you see him say hello he is lovely guy.”
Nigel, who first met Derek at a betting shop in Wales after Nigel’s return from Benidorm said he just wanted to know that Derek “would be looked after”. Nigel says Derek loves Benidorm and had always wanted to return.
And Nigel’s post more than did that, as it went viral and turned Derek, who is often called a Robert de Niro lookalike into a famous person in Benidorm. Everywhere Derek goes, people want to take pictures with him, and someone even messaged Nigel trying to get his 80-year-old mother to go on holiday with Derek.
Nigel said: ““I even saw a message today from a fella saying he wants his 80-year-old mother to meet up with Derek so they can go on holiday together. Everywhere he goes he’s getting attention. People have said he looks like Robert DeNiro.”
Nigel said as soon as Derek arrived he met people in his hotel and has been out every day “living it up”.
“I didn’t know it was going to take off as big as this when I posted it. He loves singing in the bars and people are going up to him, and they’re saying ‘you alright?’ – they’re looking after him.”
Nigel insists Derek, despite being occasionally forgetful, is of sound mind and is “having a ball” making new friends. “Some people are saying you shouldn’t have done it, he’s vulnerable blah blah blah. With Derek, there’s people looking out for him all the time, walking him back to the hotel, he’s got eyes and ears out there everywhere.
“And these hotels are like old people homes, they look out for you. People are saying what’s he doing sat with six girls having a drink? I said, I tell you, what about you? You’re sat at home watching Tipping Point and eating a packet of crisps and he’s out there with women.
“I know who’s the poor guy there. There’s people out there wishing they were Derek.”
Nigel said Derek will often go into his local travel agent and have a conversation with staff for half an hour then walk out without booking anything.
“He’s like a tyre kicker. I went to Benidorm and he said ‘I wish I’d come with you now’. He said ‘my dream is to go back to Benidorm but I’ve got no one to go with. Could I cope on my own’?'”
Nigel found Derek a hotel online and they booked it together and he agreed to take him to the airport if he paid for petrol. They booked a Jet2 assistance package which meant “they stick to you like glue from A to B. They looked after him.”
A woman later commented on Nigel’s post saying Derek had arrived safe and well at her hotel.
“Then I get a message at 1 o’clock in the morning. Ping! Derek’s singing in one of the bars. I thought bloody hell!”
Nigel said people then started forming an entourage for his friend to make sure he’s okay on nights out and “everywhere he goes he’s being asked for selfies”.
“He’s Benidorm Derek.”
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