For more than a decade, Death in Paradise has been gripping viewers with its shocking murders set against the backdrop of an idyllic island.
The hit BBC comedy-drama, which has its 13th season come to a dramatic close this evening, follows a bunch of fish-out-of-water detectives fighting crime in the fictional paradise of Saint Marie. But while the island boasts blue skies and sandy shores, it is far from a holiday, becoming one of the deadliest places on TV.
Across 13 seasons, there have been more than 70 killings, including one of the lead characters, which has kept the eight million regular viewers on the edge of their seats. Although the actors that have bagged the role of leading detective don't seem to stick around for too long.
First, it was Ben Miller, then Kris Marshall and Ardal O'Hanlon, all of whom had varying reasons for giving up the gig, and now Ralf Little, who is currently at the helm playing DI Neville Parker, has announced he is leaving the show. The latest series landed on BBC One in January, however many fans have been left wondering when they can expect another instalment after tonight's grand finale.
Luckily for fans, the show has unsurprisingly been recommissioned, with season 14 expected to arrive in January 2025, so there is plenty more drama to come. Here, The Mirror takes a look at what happened to the former cast members once they left the show.
Ben Miller - Richard Poole
Back to where it all began, a sweaty and red-faced Detective Inspector Richard Poole turned 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.
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. 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!"
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 returned as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations. The actor jumped at the chance to return to the show as he had "unfinished business" with the character.
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Kris Marshall - Humphrey Goodman
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. But Marshall decided 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?'"
The actor has since appeared in historical drama Sanditon and American comedy-drama Better Things. In June 2020, Kris admitted he had to leave because his son was "becoming too Caribbean".
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
Jack Mooney was the third man to take over as detective inspector. 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." Father Ted actor Ardal has appeared in Doctor Who, Skins and has done stand-up comedy on Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntrye's Comedy Roadshow.
Most recently, he appeared as Eamonn in the second series of Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls. 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.
Danny John-Jules - Dwayne Myers
Officer Dwayne Myers was a mainstay in the team until he mysteriously didn't turn up at the start of the eighth series. Dwayne left to go on an epic voyage with his estranged father after they reconnected.
Actor Danny John-Jules said he wanted to leave "on a high" and went on to compete in the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing. "I left Death in Paradise because I wanted to get back on stage. I needed a bit more razzmatazz in my life, and then along came Strictly," he told TV Times.
Danny's time on Strictly came to a controversial end and he was eliminated on Week 8 with partner Amy Dowden. When series 10 returned to screens, fans were curious to see why Dwayne didn't come back for even a cameo.
When one viewer on Twitter claimed Dwayne was missed, Danny replied: "They haven’t missed me since S7." Another claimed they went back through old episodes to find out what happened to Dwayne, to which Danny commented: "And I thought Dwayne was #Baffled."
In reply to another fan, Danny explained where his character could be. He wrote: "Dwayne Myers has been sent to Washington to teach the Police how to man a barrier outside a Government Building ..."
And just a fortnight ago, Dwayne was welcomed back into the series in a huge surprise for fans. As Commissioner Selwyn Patterson gathered troops to introduce Marlon Pryce's replacement, a boat approached the jetty with the former cast member on board.
"You told me the team was on their knees without me," he said to Selwyn. "So here I am, the full package," he announced. Though it remains to be seen how long John-Jules will stick around on the island.
Ralf Little, who plays Neville, said last summer: "I used to watch Red Dwarf. He's a real hero of mine and what a dude he is. He is always welcome. He's always welcome back, as far as I'm concerned."
Sara Martins - Camille Bordey
Former undercover investigator Camille clashed with DI Poole at the start but became his right hand woman - with there even being a hint of romance. The detective sergeant then worked with successor DI Goodman and they shared a kiss when she left for an undercover job in Paris halfway through the fourth series.
Actress Sara Martins explained that leaving the show was "tremendously hard" but she wanted to take a risk with a new challenge. "We wanted to make the best exit, and they didn't want to kill me off, there was no reason to. And who knows? There's always the possibility I can come back," she said.
The Portuguese actor went on to appear in American Odyssey and Father Brown as well as a host of French films. "There are some characters that never leave you and I'm still Camille, wherever I go," Sara said on her return for the 10th anniversary series.
"After many years, people still reference and send their love to me as Camille, so it was obvious that I had to go back and the 10th anniversary is the perfect opportunity! I want to celebrate the longevity of Death in Paradise. It was life changing for me and I'm so grateful to the show. I feel like I'm going back home with new folks and old, to bring more fun and joy."
And as the show aired its 1000th episode, viewers were delighted to see Camille make a cameo, as the character welcomed her baby into the world from France. Following the segment, fans took to social media in droves to comment on her iconic return.
One tweeted: "Us getting a Camille cameo???? my life has been made. #DeathInParadise."
Gary Carr - Fidel Best
Protocol-obsessed Fidel left the show after three series when he got promoted to a new job on the neighbouring island of St Lucia. While the actor himself didn't explain his decision to leave, co-star Kris Marshall explained that it was not a surprise to see him go.
"Yes, of course. Gary's a big part of the show. It wasn't a shock," said Kris. "It was really sad to see Gary go, but it was also a great opportunity; because what actually happened is we had two new cast members coming in
Kris added: "Gary is a brilliant actor, and he's going to be massive and he's young. He did three series and he wants to move on, I understand where he is coming from. I was just the same when I was younger. He wants to move on." Since leaving the show, Gary has gone on to have roles in Silent Witness, Inspector George Gently and as Jack Ross in Downton Abbey.
Josephine Jobert - Florence Cassell
Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell rose up the ranks during her time on the island. It seemed like Florence was going to be killed off when she was shot while following her fiance Patrice, who was caught up in a murder plot, to an abandoned warehouse.
DI Mooney managed to find her just in time and she survived, but she decided to quit her detective job and leave the island behind. Denying there was a dramatic reason behind her exit, actor Josephine Jobert explained she left for "personal and professional reasons".
"Nothing dramatic, I swear, everything is fine," she said in a clip posted to Twitter. "I loved every minute of it and I'm going to miss the show," she continued as she thanked viewers for their love and support.
Josephine described her decision to leave as being "tough" to make, before thanking viewers for all their "love" and "support". She added: "Don't stop watching. I promise there are so many good episodes coming and you'll be surprised."
Josephine also returned for the 10th and 11th series before departing again, and worried about her character as she had "been through a lot". After getting a call from the commissioner, Florence didn't hesitate when deciding whether to return despite her difficult memories.
"She's lost her fiancé... And I was really interested in how she would come back, how is she going to feel... is she going to be okay – I was a bit worried about her, honestly," explained Josephine. "She's a strong woman. When she gets a call from the commissioner, asking her to come back, I believe she didn't hesitate one second to see the crew again, to see her island, which reminds her of a lot of difficult moments but also lots of wonderful moments she spent with the team. So I was very excited about this and I'm really proud of her."
In the most recent series, the actress made another surprise comeback just two weeks ago, which saw her character Florence making her way to the island after coming out of witness protection. The French star also teased a possible appearance in the spin-off series, Beyond Paradise.
"It's a possibility that we discussed with the producer some time ago," she previously revealed. "So we'll see if that will happen. But I would love to anyway. It would be a very nice wink."
A version of this story was first published in January 2021.