Little’s big exit from Death in Paradise
TV VIEWERS will see Ralf Little leave Death in Paradise tomorrow night after nearly five years of playing lead detective Neville Parker.
The actor, 44 – who is the longest-lasting British copper in the Caribbean crime caper – will exit in a storyline based on his quest to find true love.
His departure means a fifth change in the main role on the show, which was last year’s most watched drama in the UK, behind Happy Valley and Doctor Who.
The three other actors to have starred are Ben Miller, Kris Marshall and Ardal O’Hanlon.
A source said: “Ralf has been brilliant in the role and he’s given it a good long run. Fans are sure to be sad to see him go but they’ll also be happy for Neville.”
The series, which launched in 2011, has been commissioned for a 14th run next year. A Christmas special for this year is being filmed in the coming months.
Speculation
In recent weeks there has been mounting speculation from viewers that much-loved Neville could be leaving the fictional island of Saint Marie – filmed on Guadeloupe.
When Royle Family star Little took on the “dream role” in 2019 he said: “It took less than 0.005 seconds to say yes to playing the new DI! How could I not? It is a joy to play Neville and I can’t wait for viewers to see him in paradise.”
In 2021 he admitted that it made him angry to hear people describing the drama, which attracts up to eight million viewers, as their “guilty pleasure”.
“I am still trying to gently steer the narrative away from that phrase,” he said. “What is there to be guilty about? It is a high-quality show.”