Widower, 88, who’s posed for more than 2,000 selfies becomes the ‘most famous person in Benidorm’

An 88-year-old widower has become the ‘most famous person in Benidorm’ after his friend posted a message on Facebook asking holidaymakers to look out for him.

Retired shoe seller Derek Flynn, from Rhyl, Wales, decided to go on a solo holiday to the Spanish resort to relive his memories of his wife, Maevis, who passed away two years ago.

Worried about his pal, Nigel Hobdey, 61, took to a Benidorm Facebook group to ask anyone who spotted his friend to ‘say hello’ and look out for him during his 21-day break, according to The Sun.

Now, father-of-five Derek, who has no smartphone, has become an unlikely social media sensation – with fans eagerly sharing beaming selfies with the widower online to reassure his loved ones he’s doing OK.

Derek has apparently posed for at least 2,000 selfies, adding: ‘I can’t walk down the street without someone stopping me. It’s blown up. I’ve gone from nothing to massive.’

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An 88-year-old widower (pictured centre) has become the ‘most famous person in Benidorm’ after his friend posted a message on Facebook asking holidaymakers to look out for him

Holidaymaker Brenda Atherton, 69, told the publication: ‘We were dying to meet him. He’s the most famous person in Benidorm.’

Derek, who enjoys singing Dean Martin songs at the holiday destination’s bars and looks like American actor Robert De Niro, according to his fans, paid £1,200 for his break.

He said: ‘The ladies start screaming my name and ask me if I want a drink… I’d never say no to a selfie. I’m having the time of my life.’

Nigel admitted that after his Facebook post, he received thousands of comments, before hundreds of pictures followed. 

Mary, who is celebrating her 18th birthday, told the publication that ‘legend’ Dereck is also ‘all over Instagram’. 

Retired shoe seller Derek Flynn, from Rhyl, Wales, decided to go on a solo holiday to the Spanish resort to relive his memories of his wife, Maevis, who passed away two years ago

Worried about his pal, Nigel Hobdey, 61, took to a Benidorm Facebook group to ask anyone who spotted his friend to ‘say hello’ and look out for him during his 21-day break

Derek is due to fly back to the UK on Monday, according to The Mirror, after Nigel helped the pensioner book the holiday and drove him to Manchester Airport on February 5.

Nigel said Derek, who is occasionally forgetful, is of ‘sound mind’, adding: ‘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.

‘There’s people out there wishing they were Derek,’ concluded Nigel.