Madge Delilah Harvey (née Barron) is the scornful and cantankerous mother of Janice Garvey. She is a sharp-tongued, sun-worshipping grandmother. Almost never seen without a cigarette, Madge is normally either sun-bathing or driving around the resort on an electric scooter.
Storylines
Backstory
Madge had a husband who died in 1990, and one of her daughters died too.
Series 1
Madge first brings her family to Benidorm in Series 1. She is rude to all the other guests and consistently winds up her son-in law Mick Garvey (Steve Pemberton). When she finds out her granddaughter Chantelle Garvey (Hannah Hobley) is pregnant she upsets her by saying she will need to get rid of the baby and accuses Telle of elaborately planning the pregnancy to ruin her holiday. In the 4th episode Madge accidentally gives Donald Stewart (Kenny Ireland) and Jacqueline Stewart (Janine Duvitski) the impression that she is a swinger! In the final episode of the season Madge invites Donald and Jacqueline to come to the beach with her family, where they eventually leave later on due to them being scammed out of their money.
Series 2
In series 2 Madge's new 'boyfriend' Mel Harvey (Geoffrey Hutchings) brings her and her family back to Benidorm. Her daughter Janice is quite surprised when a man they've only known for a few weeks takes them on holiday and they are even more surprised when Mel proposes to Madge! Janice tries to convince her not to agree to a wed a man they have only known for five minutes however she doesn't listen. Although in the 5th episode of season Madge thinks that Mel is going of her when Sylvia arrives in town! Madge accuses Sylvia of necking-off Mel and a slanging leads to their squaring up in their chairs for a terrifying Western-style shoot out around the pool. After the pool fight Mel tells Madge that he wants to marry her before they go back to the UK. Janice and Mick try to make Madge and Mel have second thoughts about their wedding but Janice says the wrong thing to Madge and she and Mel snub The Garveys! They later forgive Janice and Mick and invite everyone at the Solona to their beach wedding. During the wedding Geoff Maltby (Johnny Vegas) knocks Mel out when his parachute goes out of control and accidentally kicks Mel over the head. Mel loses his memory so Mick knocks him out trying to try and re-jog his memory but ends with Mick being arrested and Mel being taken to hospital leaving Madge on the beach devastated!
Summer Special
Madge and Janice go to visit Mel in hospital, but when they can't find a taxi they end up getting in a car with a very dangerous man! He takes them to a cliff and threatens them if they don't stay in his car. They both are then taken back to the Solana, and they, along with some of the guests, are held hostage - revealing he is a mass serial killer. He took them to the rooftop and threatened that he would start shooting. Mel then boards a helicopter and flies to the rooftop, knocking the murderer unconscious and saves Madge and the others!
Series 3
Madge returns to Benidorm with her family. While waiting for ages in the coach, sweating cobs, she scares Michael stating that the "Boogey Man" is coming after him. Mel is already in Benidorm getting ready for the grand opening of his new mobility shop. Due to the amount of electric wires, the mobility shop was soon in flames and burnt down just after one day of being open. Considering Mel no longer had a business, he decides to go with Madge and the Garvey's to the waterfalls of Callosa and Peacock Island. In the 4th episode one of Madge's daughters, Valda, stays at the Solana with her young Indian husband, Vikram. She is convinced Valda is after Mels money! Also in this episode Madge takes some of Brandy (Sheridan Smith) drugs as she thought they were pills to settle her stomach however they make her sing on karaoke and jump of stage onto Valda! In the next episode Madge and her family take a trip to the Benidorm Palace which Mel decides to buy. Therefore in the final episode he and Madge decide to stay in Benidorm.
Christmas Special
Madge is left alone in the villa as Mel is away on business. Her family come for Christmas and she is waiting for Mel to return. She is told he is having trouble with getting a plane back although Madge is convinced he is up to something! With Mel still not back she is left in charge of the Christmas Spectacular at the Palace but when the Star of the show, Sue Polard, takes an unexpected detour to a nudist hotel, it looks as if the event will be left without its big finale! A friend of Donald and Jacquelines is able to help out with the show although Madge just wants Mel to come back. In the end she finds out he had sadly passed away.
Series 4
Madge suffers financial bankruptcy after Mel's posthumous business deals leave her thousands in debt, forcing her to sell her hilltop Altea mansion to Cilla Black and the Benidorm Palace, to pay off a majority of her debts. Her family arrive in Benidorm to find her living incognito in a caravan park, living off state benefits, practically destitute. They help eliminate her debts with both Scary Mary and Mr Pink, both big time Benidorm gangsters, and a last-minute bet with the latter saw Madge eliminate her debt, and gain 3,000 euros! With her prize money, Madge has decided to rebuild Mel Harvey Leisure Industries by purchasing a failing bar and turning it around, to regain money (the bar is on the same site as Mel's mobility scooter shop, which burnt down on its opening night in summer 2009, and she feels this is a sign from Mel from beyond the grave.) The bar was named Mels Bar and had picture of him on the logo.
Series 5
Madge and the family return to holiday at the Solana once again. It is revealed that the bar that had opened in Series 4, did not work out. Madge gets embroiled in organ theft that is occurring in Benidorm and is subsequently saved by Mohammed Mohammed, who reveals himself to be a close business partner of Mel. He states that he has been trying to find Madge for a long while, only to return a cigarette case and an old photo. Janice is very welcoming of Mohammed however, Mick refuses to believe who he is. Madge agrees to marry Mohammed due to the legal loopholes that would be involved with transferring money that Mohammed has. Mick later finds out that Mohammed is actually a conman and is only after Madges money. When he finds out she hasn't got any money, he doesn't marry Madge! In the final episode, Madge finds out they're broke when Mick reveals to the rest of the Garveys that all the sunbed shops Mel left them have been destroyed by fire. Madge is bitterly angry and turns on Mick!
Series 6
In Series 6, Madge causes trouble even before she leaves the airport! She has brought some tanning pills which passport control mistake for drugs! This causes Mick to be locked in the prison at Alicante airport! Madge is determined to stir things up with a new family, the Dykes. Later in the season she reveals to the Garveys that she visited Dr Kundu, and only has 6 months to live! This turns out to be a misunderstanding as the practice, having grown tired by her racism and other negative traits, had given her "6 months to leave".
Series 7
The Garveys are worried Madge is being stalked! They meet a guy called Buck-A-Roo who reveals that Madge is about to inherit millions from the Collins family and 5 acres of land revealed to be in Las Vegas, however they believe its a fraud so they tell him to go away! Les Conroy (Tim Healy) does some research on Buck-A-Roo who finds out he was telling the truth. Therefore Madge and the Garvey's go after him and they all leave to go to Las Vegas!
Series 8
Madge returns to Benidorm alone. She buys a house at an auction, however, Joyce Temple-Savage (Sherrie Hewson) and Mr Wu are both after the same house. They both end up trying to buy the house off Madge as they offer her more money than what she bidded for the house. Mr Wu offers her more money, therefore she sells the house to him. Although later in Neptunes, it is revealed her and Joyce were working together to get money out of Mr Wu!