JOYEUX NOEL!

Kris Marshall is heading to his own corner of paradise for Christmas this year – in France

Did you imagine swapping Guadeloupe for Devon would be such a success?

The thing is, Death in Paradise is sooo popular. I went back out [to the Caribbean] last year to film a few scenes for Beyond Paradise and the show has become so global that there are tourists wandering around wearing Death in

Paradise T-shirts. It’s like going to Disneyworld and being Mickey Mouse.

I worried that any new show would struggle to top it, but when the first viewing figures came out and the first three episodes rated number one I was a little stunned.

Were you nervous about doing a spin-off?

When Tony Jordan came up with it six years ago, I did think it had to be very different from Death in Paradise. But when I saw the scripts, I was happy. It’s rural, slightly pagan, wild and weird — and I’m weird, so it’s just right.

What’s it like working with Sally Bretton? Had you seen her in

Not Going Out? Actually, the first time I met her was when she arrived in Guadeloupe for our storyline at the end of series five of Death in Paradise. We just hit it off. I love her timing and she has an impeccable CV. She’s so easy to work with.

What can you tell us about the Beyond Christmas episode?

Paradise It’s the best we’ve done to date. I can’t give away too much of the storyline, but it warms your cockles without being too saccharine.

What are your own Christmas plans?

I’m going to be very “bourgeois actor” — I’m going to be at my house in France. No one recognises me and the selfie count isn’t too high. After months of filming it’s great to spend time with the kids and my wife. Christmas morning we open stockings in bed, go skiing and eat at 4pm. But it’s very hard to find a turkey in France, so we’ll have chicken.