People get to escape the bad weather with Death in Paradise
JANE HAASE asks returning star Josephine Jobert what is in store for the Caribbean crimefighters in the 10th series
WE can’t travel to the sun right now, but at least we can enjoy it on screen with the return of the Caribbean-set whodunnit, Death in Paradise.
Ralf Little is back as DI Neville Parker and he is joined by Josephine Jobert, 35, as DS Florence Cassell, who has returned after a break from the show. Here Josephine tells us how it feels to be back...
What can we expect from Florence in this series?
FLORENCE has been through a very difficult time in her life. She lost her fiancé in a terrible accident and that’s why she left the island and why I left in series eight.
So she’s back, she’s still sad and weak in a way. Through the series we see how hard it still is for her to live with the pain, we see how strong she is.
A lot has changed since What does Florence think of new D.I. Neville Parker when she first arrives?
SHE has worked with a lot of crazy, weird detectives so I guess she’s used to it! He’s scared of everything, he’s never been swimming, he’s scared of mosquitos, being sick, people even...
They’re so different but he’s a good detective and she knows that, but they’ll get to know each other a bit more and she’ll see different sides of him.
What can you tell us about some of the new cases?
I REALLY like the cases which go through two episodes. There is one of these through this series – episodes five and six.
You think we’ve found a solution but something new happens and then we have to go in another direction.
What was it like working with Ralf Little?
WE got along well together. He’s a very intelligent man, he speaks very well. He speaks brilliant French, I was so amazed! He said he learnt it during lockdown.
You’ve now worked with three of the four detectives in the series. What is your favourite thing about working with each of them?
KRIS Marshall was my first partner in the series so he’s very special to me because he helped me a lot, he was there for me when I was struggling and a bit scared and he was so nice with me on set and so funny. His French was pretty amazing too. That’s why Kris is special, because he was the first. Ardal is a dream. I really miss him. He’s a father and really calm and quiet, always so nice, gentle and polite.
Ralf is a bit different, a bit younger and they are all so funny in their own kind of way. It’s nice to work with different people like this. How did you find it working under the current Covid guidelines? I FEEL blessed and so lucky to be able to work, first of all. It’s weird because we have very strict rules we have to follow on set, we wear masks and get tested approximately every two weeks. We have a Covid supervisor, who was watching we weren’t too close in our scenes or touching. At the beginning it was weird... but it’s like everything, you get used to it. We never complain because we have to do this to be able to work.
Why do you think Death in Paradise has been able to maintain huge ratings?
FIRST of all, because it’s a good show. People get used to it and year after year, it’s like a rendezvous.
We have beautiful scenery. So, people in the UK in the winter can escape the bad weather when they watch Death in Paradise.
There’s always new actors and characters so it’s impossible to get bored, added to the fact that the detective has changed. There is always something new and it gives a new energy to the show.
■ Death in Paradise is on BBC1, Thursday at 9pm