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Donald Stewart (Kenny Ireland) was an original character from Benidorm, and will be missed greatly as he always brought a smile to fans faces. It was revealed in season 8 that Donald died off screen in his sleep, as the actor Kenny Ireland passed from cancer prior to season 7s filming.

Donald Stewart
Benidorm donald

First Appearance

Series 1, Episode 1

Last Appearance

Series 6 Episode 7

Actor

Kenny Ireland

Born

Scotland

Died

2015

Spouses

Jacqueline Stewart 1990-2015

Residence

Middlesbrough

Duration

2007-2014

Family

Jacquline (wife) Cameron (Uncle)

Donald Stewart is the late husband of Jacqueline Stewart and was played by the late Kenny Ireland. He and Jacqueline are swingers and are normally seen with married couple Troy and Gavin Ramsbottom and salon owner Kenneth Du Beke. They are members of the MSA - Middlesbrough Swinger's Association.

Storylines[]

Series 1[]

Donald and Jacqueline are first seen greeting married couple, Kate and Martin Weedon, and are an unwelcome early addition to Kate's desired possible holiday companions,as they would like to have a 3 way with them . It's clear Donald and Jacqueline have been holidaying at the Solana for several years, and like to share the experiences with newcomers. When Martin and Kate manage to escape Donald and Jacqueline, the swingers manage to follow them secretly. When Donald and Jacqueline mistake mouthy Madge Harvey for a swinger, sparks fly, and when the Garveys win The Solana quiz night, Madge invites Donald and Jacqueline on the trip to the beach, angering her son-in-law, Mick Garvey.

Series 2 - 3[]

In the second season Kate and Martin have booked a hotel in Altea, a picturesque village located 10km north of Benidorm. On arrival they find Donald and Jacqueline in their room practicing some 'interesting' adult activities. When Mateo Castellanos upsets their friend Kelly, they help her get her own back on him in their own special way. When Madge and Mel Harvey are having a romantic evening stroll on the beach, they bump into Jacqueline and Donald, which makes what is supposed to be the most memorable day of their life proceed to become memorable - for all the wrong reasons. When everything goes wrong on Madge and Mel's wedding day Donald and Jacqueline become babysitters for Chantelle Garvey and Michael Garvey. In Series 3, a conman called Gary steals Donald and Jacqueline's phones, after claiming he could get them 'chipped' to make free calls. They also get a visit from one of Donald's old friends, Wink McAndrew, who scares Jacqueline.

Series 4[]

Donald and Jacqueline do water aerobics instructed by Mateo. When Donald has a heart attack in the pool, Jacqueline and Mateo race to get him out of the water. In the following episode, Donald and Jacqueline reveal to Kenneth that Donald only has three months to live. Kenneth then tells his friend Gavin, leaving him shocked. In the final episode of series 4, Donald's belongings are found on a beach along with his favourite hat. When the news reaches the Solana, Jacqueline is devastated and is comforted by Kenneth and Gavin. When Jacqueline, Kenneth and Gavin go to see Sir Henry, British consul to Benidorm, at the local British Consulate, he turns them away after implying it could be an insurance scam. When Gavin and Kenneth take Jacqueline to the beach where Donald killed himself, it is revealed that it was a gay nudist beach. Jacqueline later decides she would like to throw Donald's hat out to sea, and the trio decide to do it from the water ski platform, which is situated away from the shore at the end of the Levante Beach. On the platform, Jacqueline's foot gets tangled in some rope, which is attached to a speed boat. Jacqueline is whisked off her feet and across the water at speed, behind the speedboat. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Donald did not kill himself and that the unusual couple are planning to claim Donald's life insurance money - but they don't realise they're being watched by Sir Henry.

Series 5[]

When Jacqueline returns to Benidorm in series 5, Kenneth claims he sees Donald's ghost. Gavin then witnesses this and the pair scream. Donald and Jacqueline then explain their fraudulent actions, confusing Gavin and Kenneth. In series 5 episode 2, Donald and Jacqueline perform an unusual performance at the dance competition. In series 5 episode 3, Jacqueline performs a dirty dance for the stag nighters. In series 5 episode 5, Donald and Jacqueline join a drunk party and get really wild! In the final episode of Season 5, Donald and Jacqueline bump into Donald's dangerous former cellmate, Mr. Big.

Series 6[]

In Season 6 Jacqueline and Donald return to the Solana and start a protest when Joyce Temple-Savage does not give them a free holiday, even though she promised them one last year. They finally get a room after Jacqueline chains herself to some sunbeds. In series 6 episode 3, 'Sticky Vicky' is on holiday so Jacqueline performs the act for her. In series 6 episode 4, Jacqueline and Donald play volley ball against Michael and Tiger. When Big Donna, a friend of Donald and Jacqueline, passes away in episode 5, they are determined to give her a big send off before scattering her ashes from the top of a nearby mountain, though after a mix-up with deliveries, they accidentally 'scatter' Lesley's wig instead. In the final episode Donald and Jacqueline are invited by their raucous friend Queenie to the Costa Blanca Swingers Association party, where they meet former porn star Pepe De La Cruz and his wife Agnes, who happens to be an old friend of Donald's.

Series 7[]

In Season 7 Jacqueline and Donald have arranged a wife swap to mark their wedding anniversary so Jacqueline arrives in Benidorm with Glynn Flint, whilst Donald is in Paris with Glynn's wife, Rhiannon. In the final episode of the series Rhiannon arrives in Benidorm however there is no sign of Donald. At the end of the episode Jacqueline receives a phone call from Donald to tell her he was throwing a surprise for her with the swingers association at the cross.

Donald was voiced by an unnamed voice actor for this phone call, as Kenny Ireland, the actor for Donald Stewart, passed away from cancer before this series was filmed. The last episode of Series 7 was dedicated to Kenny.

Series 8[]

It was revealed during the series 8 premiere that Donald had died in his sleep sometime in 2015. Donald's widow Jacqueline and their friends Troy and Kenneth fulfilled his last wish for his ashes to be scattered over Benidorm from an observation deck located on top of a hillside. The deck is marked by a huge cross and overlooks the whole of Benidorm. The ceremony did not go entirely to plan. When Kenneth turned on the wind machine he had dragged up the hillside to make sure Donald's ashes drifted over the bay, the initial blast sent Jacqueline flying, and for a few moments, it appeared that she had dropped over the cliff. However, she had only fallen a few metres, and as the fall broke the urn holding Donald's ashes, the scene ending with a cloud of ashes gently floating over the sea, accompanied by Scottish bagpipe music.

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