Beloved Benidorm star looks unrecognisable 12 years on from hit ITV comedy – and is engaged to co-star

BENIDORM star Adam Gillen is well known for playing fresh-faced holidaymaker Liam Conroy - with his ginger locks and clean-shaven face.

Now, the actor - who played the hapless character in the ITV hit series - has been spotted looking drastically different to Liam eleven years on, sporting a huge bushy beard.

TV star Adam was getting into the festive spirt as he sported a red Santa hat and posed for a rare snap alongside Coronation Street actor and former co-star Tony Maudsley.

Flashing a big smile, Adam looked very different compared to his clean-shaven character who was a familiar face on the show.

The clumsy character was initially a holidaymaker, who had travelled to Benidorm to visit his father Les Conroy, who worked at the Solana.

In series five, Liam joined the Solana workforce as a maintenance worker, however, in the series finale, the lad leaves the Solana to pursue a career with Kenneth Du Beke in the Blow 'n' Go Salon.

Reuniting with his good pal Tony last year, the pair looked like they were having a jolly time.

Tony wrote: "Christmas is always better when your favourite people come to visit. When @adam_gillen pops round it’s like slipping into a cosy pair of slippers."

Fans were delighted to see the pair back together again.

However, they were also left shocked to discover that Adam is loved up with another former Benidorm co-star.

His social media accounts feature numerous photos of him with Laila Zaidi, who played Cyd.

One fan commented under one two years ago: ";THEY ARE A REAL LIFE COUPLE."

Another added: “Lovely picture of you both x".

Last year the pair announced they were engaged, as Laila showed off her sparkly ring to fans.

Sharing a picture of her huge bling, Laila – who looks nothing like her on-screen character – told fans: “A whole week of being a diiiirty flirttttyyy thirty FIANCÉ.”

Liam returned to the show and appeared singing a duet, with Kenneth (Tony Maudsley), in the last 10 minutes of episode 7 at the end of Series right.

The character also made a comeback on series 10.

Meanwhile Cyd arrived on the show in series 10 as Rob Dawson's South American girlfriend.