Death in Paradise will return to viewers' screens in early 2025 after a Christmas special – but without the hugely popular Ralf Little.
Newcomer Don Gilet, previously famous for his roles in EastEnders and Holby City, already seems nervous about following in Ralf's footsteps. Ahead of his debut on the show in just a few days' time, he admitted his character DI Mervin Wilson is ready to “annoy his colleagues”.
In an interview on The One Show, he revealed that the DI was “not really popular to begin with”. “He doesn’t want to be there, doesn’t like the place, the pace of the place,” Don explained, adding that the idyllic Caribbean island setting “works against him.”
But just as he is making his way to the plane to make his longed-for return to London, he is stopped by a criminal case. Although the plot sounds promising, some fans are unsure if Don can follow in Ralf Little's footsteps after gaining so much popularity in his four years in the lead role.
While Don himself has admitted that he's “scared,” fans of “X” are also wondering if he's capable of it. One agonized: “I like #DonGilet, he's a good actor BUT he usually plays a villain, serial killer, murderer… he was Donna's ex in #DoctorWho. Not sure if he’s the main detective in #DeathinParadise.”
However, another quipped: “He's come a long way since befriending a giant spider and pushing his ex-wife onto a rake…”
Others recalled that when he played sinister serial killer Lucas in EastEnders, he “never” smiled.
Don has also appeared in Sherwood, Shetland and The Beekeeper, to name a few – and despite the skepticism, some fans remain confident in his versatility.
One wrote: “Great actor, recently saw him in #TheBeekeeper #TheStranger on @netflix – never forget him in #DoctorWho – The Runaway Bride.”
“For all you @facebook naysayers,” the fan objected, before explaining that there's no reason why Don “can't be the 'fish out of water' DIP character in the Caribbean.”
While Don faces new challenges and hopes to win the public's favor, the same goes for Ralf – and earlier this year his appearance in the dystopian thriller The Flaw was announced.
The cast will see him reunited with another big Death in Paradise star: Danny John-Jules, who played police officer Dwayne Myers before appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Death in Paradise Christmas special, featuring Don's debut, airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on December 22nd at 8:30pm.
