A local YouTuber in Benidorm has hit out at Dean Gaffney after the EastEnders star shared videos of empty bars while on holiday, making the resort town look ‘apocalyptic’
A Benidorm local has mocked Dean Gaffney after the EastEnders star criticised the Spanish resort town in a series of social media posts from his holiday.
Gaffney, 46, turned to Instagram last week, sharing his dismay through footage of near-deserted dance floors in Benidorm. One clip was captioned: “Reconsidering… do I stay or go to Dubai.” He also posted footage showing a singer performing in an empty bar, casting a bleak impression of the nightlife scene.
But local YouTuber ‘Benidorm by Ana’ disagrees with Gaffney’s portrayal. In a recent video, she insisted the town is buzzing more than ever for this time of the year.
Ana said: “Benidorm is as busy as it could be right now in the month of October, even busier than previous years […] there are nightclubs and pubs that are packed with people.”
Ana, who has more than 17,000 subscribers and shares regular updates for tourists in Benidorm, suggested the soap star might have had a rip-roaring time if he had only tuned into her channel. She joked: “I’m not sure if he just doesn’t follow us, probably not, but he should because he could have had his best holiday of his lifetime in Benidorm town.
“Instead they went to bars that are not as popular, they went to places that are empty, instead of going to incredible places and venues and events, where they could’ve had so much fun. I’m not sure who planned his holiday, but they definitely don’t know what they are doing.”
Ana said Gaffney’s posts made it seem like there was an “apocalypse” in Benidorm. She added: “We are here and we don’t know anything about it.”
She also took aim at reports suggesting theft and crime were a growing issue in Benidorm. “Obviously, as in any other tourist destination, there are places where this might happen,” she explained. “It’s happening everywhere. Every tourist destination where you go, you might get your things stolen. Just by taking a couple basic precautions, you can avoid all this.”
Ana concluded by saying Spain was in “shock” at what she described as an “aggressive” campaign against tourism in Benidorm.