Death in Paradise actors' decisions to quit from saving marriages to new babies
Bagging a role as a detective on Death in Paradise can often seem like a death sentence.
While there are blue skies and sandy beaches, residents living in the fictional paradise of Saint Marie don't tend to stick around for too long - with all the mysterious stabbings, shootings and ice pick-related deaths. But the gripping drama of it all is what makes millions of viewers tune in to the popular BBC show, which follows fish-out-of-water detectives fighting crime on a tropical island.
Across 12 seasons of the British-French comedy-drama, filmed in Guadeloupe, there have been more than 70 killings, including one of the lead characters, making it almost as deadly as Midsomer Murders. And viewers have also watched four different leading detectives take on the role, including Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon and current star Ralf Little.
Here, we take a look at why the lead characters ended up quitting their job in paradise, with one left questioning if he made the right choice...
Ben Miller - Richard Poole
Ben Miller played DI Richard Poole (BBC / Red Planet / Denis Guyenon)It all began with a sweaty and red-faced Detective Inspector Richard Poole turning up on the tropical island wearing a suit and tie. He hated living in Saint Marie during the first series but eventually started to put up with island life.
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But he met an untimely end at the start of series 3 when he was murdered at a Cambridge University reunion when he threatened to expose an identity theft - with an ice pick. Ben Miller decided to leave the role in 2014 because he wanted to save his relationship - and he was about to become a father.
"Two weeks after I arrived in the Caribbean, Jessica found out that she was pregnant," he revealed. "I've just got divorced and I've finally met somebody and now I'm on the other side of the world and we're having a baby. That's a proper curveball to be on the end of. So I knew what I had to do to get my wife back – quit Death in Paradise!"
Ben Miller lasted two and a bit series (Daily Mirror)The actor rose to fame alongside Pointless host Alexander Armstrong in their comedy sketch show Armstrong and Miller. Since then he's appeared in the Johnny English films, Primeval, Doc Martin and Upstart Crow.
Most recently, Ben played Lord Featherington in Netflix series Bridgerton, who gambled all his family's money away then won it back. However, it seems he won't be back for a second season as Featherington entered a room with some unsavoury characters before it was announced he had died.
Despite his pretty conclusive ending on Death in Paradise, Ben made a return for the 10th-anniversary celebrations. The actor jumped at the chance to return to the show as he has "unfinished business" with the character, who appeared as a hallucination in the last series.
Kris Marshall - Humphrey Goodman
Kris Marshall spent three series working on the show (BBC)My Family star Kris Marshall took over from Ben Miller at the beginning of the third series. The forgetful and unorganised DI Humphrey Goodman loved Caribbean life and fell romantically in love with DS Bordey.
After solving a special case in London, DI Goodman decided to stay with new love interest Martha. In real life, Marshall opted to leave the series in 2017 because of the pressure the role put on his young family.
He told Radio Times that he had an agreement in place with his wife Hannah that he would only do the show for a "few years". "It's something my wife and I discussed three or four years ago," said Marshall.
"When I was first offered the job, my son was six months old and my wife wasn't working, so it was a very easy decision. We decided I would do Death in Paradise for a few years until it became impractical. It was always quite a finite thing. I certainly didn't hide it from anyone I work with. I'm going to miss it terribly. There have already been times when I've thought to myself, 'Have I made the right decision?'"
Kris Marshall had a funny reason for leaving (BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Denis Guyenon)The actor has since appeared in the historical drama Sanditon and the American comedy-drama Better Things. In June 2021, Kris admitted he had to leave because his son was "becoming too Caribbean".
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He told Lorraine Kelly on Good Morning Britain: "I realised that I really had to get my son to school. He was becoming a bit too Caribbean - he refused to wear shoes and would only drink coconut water and eat pineapple"
He added: "He was very good on the beach but not so good with Maths and English, so I decided that it was time to get him to school. So the show had to go, really. But six months later I'm standing on a film set in a car park in Dagenham thinking at 4 o'clock in the morning thinking, 'Have I made the right decision?'"
Ardal O'Hanlon - Jack Mooney
Ardal O'Hanlon as detective Jack Mooney in Death In Paradise (PA)The third man to take over as detective inspector was DI Jack Mooney, played by Father Ted actor Ardal O'Hanlon. DI Mooney first appeared when the team travelled to England as part of a murder inquiry and was sent to Saint Marie for a holiday as a temporary replacement.
After three years it was time for DI Mooney to move on - returning to London with daughter Siobhan instead of going off with love interest Anna. "I've spent the last four summers in Guadeloupe playing DI Jack Mooney, solving over 20 murder cases in my time there!" announced Ardal O'Hanlon.
"It's been a hugely rewarding and unforgettable experience, working with incredibly talented actors, directors, and crew while discovering a magical part of the world." Hinting that the heat may have been behind his decision to go, he added: "It's time to move on and explore other opportunities – preferably nearer the Arctic Circle."
Ardal was part of the Death in Paradise team (BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Denis Guyenon)Ardal, who has appeared in Doctor Who and Skins, has also done stand-up comedy on Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntrye's Comedy Roadshow. Recently, he appeared as Eamonn in the second series of Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls and is in series 13 of Taskmaster. It doesn't look like DI Mooney is going to be returning to the show anytime soon, as Ardal claimed he felt a real sense of closure with the series.
Ralf Little - Neville Parker
Ralf has been the lead character of Death In Paradise since 2020 (BBC/Red Planet/Philip Volkers)The Royle Family star Ralf Little is currently at the helm playing DI Neville Parker, who first appeared midway through season 9 in 2020. Neville has struggled a bit during his time on the island because of his several serious allergies.
"It’s the best job in TV," Ralf told The Mirror this week. "Not just in terms of location, because Guadeloupe is wonderful. But the show itself has become pretty iconic. In the space of an hour we get a puzzle and a murder which are fully resolved, along with a red herring and a couple of twists. And you’ve got however many main characters who all have interplaying relationships and their own foibles and challenges to overcome.
"If you think of pretty much every other detective show, they have at least 90 minutes to get that done. I think being part of the show is a huge treat for me and kind of an honour." It remains to be seen how long Ralf will stay in the role, but the show has already been commissioned for another two series, ensuring the programme will run until at least 2025.
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