Jake Canuso

Jake Canuso is a Swiss-British actor who spent eighteen years as a professional dancer before moving into acting. Born near Zurich, he grew up in the United Kingdom. As a dancer he worked with artists including Kylie Minogue, Rozalla, the Spice Girls, Annie Lennox and Elton John, and toured for acts such as Elton John, the Spice Girls and Annie Lennox. He also appeared in music videos for Annie Lennox, Kakko, JX, Alex Party, Carter USM, 2 Unlimited and Emma Bunton, and performed on Top of the Pops. He is best known for playing the flirtatious barman Mateo Castellanos in the ITV comedy series Benidorm from 2007 to 2018. He is the sitcom's longest-serving actor and appeared in all 74 episodes, and he also starred in Benidorm Live, a touring stage version. He took part in the ITV diving show Splash! in 2013 and has appeared in pantomimes, including Aladdin as Abanazar at the Rhyl Pavilion Theatre in 2022.