After five years of starring as the lead detective, Neville Parker, actor Ralf Little shocked fans after announcing his exit from Death in Paradise. BBC viewers got their first glimpse of his replacement, EastEnders star Don Gilet, during the 2024 Christmas Special, arrived on the island in search of his estranged mother.

Although Gilet has since impressed viewers and quickly became a fan favourite for his role as Mervin Wilson, many questions about Little’s exit remain. The actor who served as the longest-serving Detective Inspector first announced his departure in March 2024, stating: “My time on Saint Marie has come to an end – what an end! New adventures await Neville, and he got to sail away into the sunset with his best friend. Who knows what happens for them next!"

The heartfelt post continued: “I want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who watched and supported the show when I arrived four and a half years ago. It was quite a relief that the response has been overwhelming, and it's been an absolute privilege and a pleasure to bring Neville Parker to all of you and to share his quite profound journey with you,” he added.

In 2021, Little revealed that he found frustration in people labelling the internationally acclaimed drama, which pulls in an audience of up to 8 million viewers, a “guilty pleasure.” He fumed: “I am still trying to gently steer the narrative away from that phrase. What is there to be guilty about? It is a high-quality show with a complex murder, with new characters and a mystery that has to be resolved - and they do it all in an hour."

“And it looks beautiful. Never was murder so enjoyable. It is an incredible achievement. It is something I am very proud of,” the actor continued. Speaking on BBC Breakfast after his announcement, the star explained: “You know, this last series was always going to be my last series. I spoke to the BBC and Red Planet, the production company, and we all agreed.

“If it was just a heart decision, I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years. But just for the show and for my character Neville it just sort of felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed. He deserved a happy ending and it just felt right.”