Derren Littens Tough Life Post-Benidorm Divorce

Benidorm creator Derren Litten, 55, currently faces daily reminders of his 'miserable' divorce from lead star Jake Canuso, 56.

In 2022, the former couple decided to go their separate ways and finalised their divorce two years later.

Yet Derren still resides in Spain where he owns cocktail bar Mateo's Benidorm - named after his ex-husband's ever-flirtatious barman character. 

So every time he heads to work it is sure to evoke memories of their once happy marriage.

It is not clear where Derren is currently living after he shared his heartbreak this week over being forced to sell the Spanish home where he wrote his hit show.

The luxury four-bed home , which Derren said is all thanks to a 'shameless, career gold digger'. 

Derren is believed to be single, with the writer revealing his very low-key Valentine's Day plans earlier this month.

'Lying on my bed trying to decide which pot noodle to have next... another winning Valentines Day', Derren wrote on X.

In contrast, his ex Jake was no doubt busy filming content for 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.'

Proving just how much he is reminded of his ex Jake while living in the villa in Spain, Derren took to Instagram last year with a sly dig. 

'Bonjour, Derren here in my lovely home in . A few tributes to my exes there', he laughed as he displayed three LED light up letters.

'Gosh, Derren how many EX's do u have? Which one do u miss the most? (let me guess)',

'Love the tribute to the ex's….. xx', fans teased in the comments.

Derren said he was left 'poor' in the aftermath of his divorce from Jake as he shed light on their split for the first time in 2023.

He said on X at the time: 'I don't really talk about my personal life here but the reason I've been a bit scarce on the socials is for the last 18 months I've been going through a pretty miserable divorce.

'So I'm obviously poor now. And you thought we couldn't have more in common then we already do?!'

Years later, Derren put his lavish property up on the market. 

It is not completely clear who Derren is referring to, though concerned fans have speculated whether it is in relation to his former partner. 

He announced the sale on Wednesday on X, sharing the estate agent details to the property and wrote: 'Would you like to buy the house where I wrote the Benidorm TV series?

'I love this house but thanks to a shameless, career gold digger I have to sell. As the Spanish say, 'No pasa nada!'

Their refurbished Mediterranean villa - on sale for £806,173 - is set in tropical gardens with palm and cocoa trees and has a large private pool with covered terrace and a summer kitchen with barbecue and bar, directly connected to the kitchen.

The town of Alfaz del Pi is a short walk away while the beaches and nightlife of Benidorm, where Litten's hit sitcom is set, are just a 15-minutes drive.

According to the estate agent's listing the villa's master bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, a large wardrobe wall, and direct access to the pool area.

There is a spacious living room and a separate dining area. Two additional bedrooms are located near the entrance and share the second bathroom.

In the garden, there is a separate office space, equipped with air conditioning, that could also be used as a fourth bedroom.

There are five golf courses within 10 minutes, including Villaitana Golf with two 18-hole courses designed by PGA Tour legend Jack Nicklaus.

His messy divorced even appears to have impacted plans to revive Benidorm.

Last year, a TV insider revealed how plans could be difficult as Canuso's character Mateo was a lead star.

They said: 'Mateo is Benidorm, he's the character that everyone wants to see.

'He's been part of the Solana since the beginning so for him not to feature in any future reboot, well it just would not be the same without him.

'Jake created one of the show's most loved characters in Mateo, but with everything that's happened between him and Derren, it's not looking good.'

Another added to The Sun: 'Conversations have been had.

'The only way Jake will return is if ITV make him a huge offer, one that he could not possibly turn down.

'But obviously Derren is making negotiations difficult. He is the writer and creator and believes that he should make all the decisions.

'The fans would want to see Mateo, which ITV get. It's all become one big headache.'

Benidorm began in 2007 but came to an end in May 2018, and fans have been begging for more ever since.

Just two months after its cancellation was confirmed, the show won best comedy at TV Choice Awards - with Litten calling out the decision in his acceptance speech at the time.

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Derren and Jake for comment at the time.