BBC fans were over the moon to see Death in Paradise’s “best detective” DI Neville Parker back on screens after his dramatic departure from Saint Marie earlier this year.
Neville actor Ralf Little decided to leave the beloved detective drama after four years to pursue other opportunities.
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However, he made a triumphant return to screens during a repeat episode of Death in Paradise on Monday evening.
Fans were thrilled to see Neville back where he belongs, working alongside Officer Ruby Patterson (Shyko Amos), who has also departed the show.
The episode, which originally aired in 2020, excited fans as many of them felt they hadn’t seen it before.
Alongside Ralf and Shyko, the episode featured two more former characters, Officer JP Hooper (Tobi Bakare) and Detective Madeleine Dumas (Aude Legastelois), both of whom have also since left the show.
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The episode follows the Saint Marie police force as they investigate the suspicious murder of a beauty salon owner who is found stabbed to death underneath the hairdryer in her own salon on the morning of her niece’s wedding.
The situation then takes an unexpected turn as the groom becomes one of the suspects in the murder.
Death in Paradise fans were thrilled by all the drama going on in Saint Marie and many quickly took to X, formerly Twitter, to discuss how happy they were to see Ralf back on screens - even if only in a repeat.
Following the episode, fans took to social media to share their thoughts - and many were thrilled to see the old gang back together once again.
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“Thank you BBC for putting an episode of Death in Paradise on with Neville Parker,” one viewer praised.
While another said they were excited to discover an old episode that they had not seen before. “Watching a repeat of Death in Paradise with Ralf Little that I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen,” they wrote happily.
Major Death in Paradise character confirms exit from show - just as beloved star returns
“Yes, the best detective is back!” another fan gushed.
Getting stuck into the action, another added: “Good thing only one murder happens at a time since it takes the whole police department to solve one case.”
Neville officially left the island of Saint Marie earlier this year after he decided he wanted to prioritise finding love after his relationship with Florence (Joséphine Jobert) didn’t work out
Ralf Little is the show’s longest-standing detective, but after the latest series, he decided to leave the show once and for all.
Timeline of Death In Paradise Detectives
Death In Paradise started in 2011 and has welcomed four detectives so far to the island.
These are all of the actors who have played the lead detective in the hit BBC series so far:
Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole - Actor Ben played the first ever detective from seasons 1 to 2, and then returned as a guest star in the third and tenth series.
Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman. Next up My Family star took on the role for three years from series 3 to 6.
Ardal O’Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney. Father Ted star Ardal was a fan favourite and was the detective for three seasons from series 6 to 9.
Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker. The actor started in 2019 and is the longest-running star to have the detective role. He was on the show for four seasons from 9 to 13.
Aude’s stint on Saint Marie was short-lived as she only starred in 10 episodes. She first appeared alongside Ardal O’Hanlon, who played Jack Mooney, and then Ralf, in series nine.
Shyko, who appeared in two seasons of Death in Paradise, left the show ahead of series 10.
Tobi also ended his four-year stint on Death in Paradise shortly after this episode. However, he did make a brief return to the show when his co-star Tahj Miles, who played Marlon Pryce, left.
All these exits shouldn’t have fans worried though, because Death in Paradise is getting some new blood for series 14.
EastEnders villain Don Gillet is stepping up as the lead detective with his first appearance expected to be the upcoming Christmas special.
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Series 1 to 13 of Death in Paradise are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
