Since his first appearance on television on the show “Stars In Their Eyes” where he appeared impersonating Bobby Vee performing “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes” Asa Elliott has appeared in countless cabaret venues in the UK as well as the Spanish resort town of Benidorm, where he went on to be featured as a recurring character on the cult classic sitcom of the same name as well as appearing in the live show in 2019. As an independent artist he continues to pursue his passion for music. 

When did you first discover your love of music? What made you decide to pursue a career in the field?

One memory that sticks in my mind was the day that Freddie Mercury passed away. I was nine years old and asked my dad who this guy was all over the news. He gave me Queen‘s greatest hits on 12 inch vinyl and I played it on repeat after that. I knew every word within a few weeks. I think this was the first time I’d really paid any attention to music and after that you couldn’t keep me off the karaoke whenever we were on holiday.

I remember singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” on karaoke in a French campsite while we were away the following year and the reaction of the crowd stunned me. It must have been a real novelty hearing a young lad sing this tune in my adolescent high-pitched voice. I couldn’t walk anywhere without somebody stopping me around that campsite and congratulating me. That’s when I got the buzz and it’s the feeling I’ve been chasing ever since.

Were you nervous when you appeared on “Stars In Their Eyes?” Why did you decide to impersonate Bobby Vee? What did you learn from that experience?

I was very nervous. At the time, “Stars In Their Eyes’ was one of the most watched TV shows in the country and I knew so much was resting on that performance. I think the nerves spurred me on though and to this day, I’m still happy with that performance and I only have fun memories of it.

I actually applied as Ricky Nelson, but on the application you could put three songs on your cassette. When I got called in for the audition, they told me it was the other two songs on my cassette they were interested in. “Poetry In Motion” by Johnny Tillotson and “The Night Has 1000 Eyes” by Bobby Vee. I sang both songs and it was the production company who chose who they wanted me to be on the show. I’m so glad of this because I now realize how great Bobby Vee was and I even got to meet him twice after I appeared on the show. He was really inspiring to me when we had a chat backstage at Manchester’s Opera house. What a guy.

Do you think your work in cabaret prepared you for your later role in front of the camera on the series “Benidorm?” 

100%. I’ve never done any professional acting before apart from at school and the writer of the show once told me how he’d seen me performing my cabaret act on stage and he knew from this that I could act. Cabaret is all about entertaining the crowd and taking them on a journey and I suppose this is all transferable qualities to on screen acting. Also in the show. I was playing a version of myself so it wasn’t difficult to prepare for what a cabaret in Benidorm would actually be like.

What was it like to perform in the town of Benidorm when you did? How do you think it has it changed most since those days?

When I first started performing in Benidorm, it was a very different town to what it is now. There wasn’t so much of the low cost airlines around and the daily flights so there were a lot more families and through the winter, the older generation there would love to come and sit down in a cabaret bar and watch a full night of entertainment. As the years went on and the holidays got cheaper for people, more stag and hen dos started to arrive and people who were there for a mad weekend.

I did notice how the crowds I performed to maybe weren’t as well-behaved or really listening as much. Shows around the town have changed a little now and are more towards parties.

What was it like when Derren Litten first approached you to be part of the series?

To hear Derren say the words,” I’d love you to be in my TV show.”, it was surreal to hear. I still at this point didn’t think anything would come of it and I hung onto those words for a long time. It was almost a year after we spoke that part was actually written for me in the Christmas special. I wouldn’t say I’d forgotten about it, but I didn’t know if it was actually going to happen. When a contract came through though and my flights were booked, that’s when I knew my career would be different forever. I’ve been given such a big chance and I had to make sure I did the best I could with it.

Do you have any favorite moments or memories from your time there that you might be at liberty to share with our readers? 

I just remember how surreal it was on my first day filming. I was taken to the Benidorm Palace and invited to the Green room to wait for my call to set. There I was, sat with all of the biggest names from the “Benidorm” tv show. The people I had watched in the first three series and instantly recognized. I was so starstruck and nervous but had to act casual and make it seem like I’d always done this. Within a few hours they had gone from celebrities to just regular people and then friends. It was that day that broke the barrier down for me understanding how celebrities are actually just real people doing a job.

Why do you think that series has become such an iconic sitcom over the years?

So many reasons. Benidorm the place was already insanely popular and people would first watch it out of intrigue to see some of the locations that they may have visited themselves. Then they grew to love the characters and I think everybody can see a little bit of themselves in at least one of them. Of course the writing is classic british humour and it has stood the test of time. Now it is being categorized as one of those series like “Gavin and Stacey” and “Only Fools and Horses” that I think will be around forever. I love hearing how the younger, new generation find it and still love it as if it had just been released today.

How do you feel about being known as “That singer off Benidorm?”

I love it! When I was writing my first Instagram bio, I just put that sentence and it has kind of stuck. “Benidorm” is so recognizable and if I’m the person that  people think of when just the word singer is mentioned, it makes me very happy.

If the series does happen to be picked back up at any time are you hoping to be part of it? 

I’d love to be part of the “Benidorm” show in any capacity. Having been in the TV show, it’s touring stage show “Benidorm Live” and also the Benidorm convention Benicon, it’s such a massive part of my life and to carry that on would be a dream.

Do you prefer working live on stage or in front of the camera more? How do the two differ most?

Live on stage for sure. Filming TV is glamorous but there’s no reaction from a live audience and you don’t get that immediate feedback that makes your adrenaline flow like the power of a live audience and a full theatre. There’s a lot more pressure on you in a live performance also and I think this brings out the best of you. There’s no going back and doing it again or editing it so you have to really be on your game. I love this pressure.

What are some of the most challenging issues you have faced during your career in the industry?

The entertainment industry is a really difficult one to be in. It can be famine or feast in terms of work. Sometimes you’re turning work down left, right, and centre and other times, you can’t get a job for love nor money. That’s the most difficult part of it. There’s nothing owed to you and you’re always having to work your best to get your next job. The pandemic was especially difficult though. I just started working on cruise ships and returned from the Caribbean, also moved into a new house and become a father for the first time. Then the whole entertainment industry came to a grinding halt and after a little while, I wondered if it would ever restart. I know a lot of people in the entertainment industry who dropped out at this point and I still feel super grateful for every job I get in the industry after going through this.

What projects are you looking forward to bringing your fans next? Do you have a dream project you’d most like to bring into existence?

There’s a few irons in the fire and a few things I can’t speak about at the moment. There’s still a long time left in my career and lots of things I’d like to achieve. Doing more theatre and TV work and just being able to get on stage in front of thousands of people and enjoy that buzz.

Is there anything you’d like to say in closing?  

When I started out in the entertainment industry, I just wanted to be on stage singing songs and making people happy. My career has taken many different twists and turns and I just like to remind people that at the end of the day, before I’m thought of as an actor, personality, that bloke off TikTok, I’m mostly a singer. I hope people listen to my songs and come to my shows and enjoy a shared experience.