Death in Paradise

Death in Paradise detective Mervin Wilson was kidnapped in a cliffhanger after travelling to Antigua to visit his brother Solomon

In the latest episode of Death in Paradise, Detective Mervin Wilson (portrayed by Don Gilet) revealed he was taking a temporary leave from Saint Marie.

After cracking another case with his team, Mervin decided to take his colleague Naomi Thomas’s (played by Shantol Jackson) advice and travel to Antigua to visit his brother, Solomon (Daniel Ward).

Mervin’s relationship with his brother got off on the wrong foot when Solomon raided his shack and nicked his belongings. Following this incident, Solomon returned to Antigua, leaving Mervin uncertain if they would ever cross paths again.

However, towards the end of Friday’s episode, Mervin informed Naomi that he wouldn’t be at work the next day as he was heading for Antigua.

“DS Thomas, I am just letting you know I won’t be coming in tomorrow,” Mervin announced over the phone, reports the Express.

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“I am actually taking your advice as it goes, I am going to see Sol. Yeah, well, I mean, I don’t even know if he wants to see me, but hey, what is the worst that could happen?”

Immediately after, Naomi rushed to inform her colleagues, expressing worry about the detective.

“Sir,” Naomi said urgently, to which the Commissioner (Don Warrington) responded, “DS Thomas, what is it?”

“I think something has happened to the inspector,” she added.

The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with Mervin bound and kidnapped by an unknown assailant – but who could be responsible?

“What the hell is going on?” The detective demanded as he attempted to escape.

As he glanced up, it seemed Mervin recognised who his abductor was as he raged, “You!”

Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Death in Paradise is set to welcome some very exciting guest stars on Friday’s episode including a The Crown actor

Death in Paradise series 15 launched earlier this year and in Friday’s episode five, the BBC show is set to welcome a The Crown star.

In an exclusive first look obtained by the Mirror, Friday’s episode will see a touring theatre company in town for their final performance of Shakespeare’s Tempest on one of Saint Marie’s pristine beaches.

It comes as a Death in Paradise star has shared their delight at returning to a beloved role on the BBC crime series, calling it “wonderful”.

During a raucous drinking scene, one of the leads keels over dead after drinking from a bottle of red wine. Later, tests worryingly reveal that the liquid contained a lethal quantity of cyanide.

However, in a confusing development, two other actors drank from the same bottle both before and after the victim yet emerged unscathed. So how on earth did only one person perish?

To solve the case, DI Mervin Wilson, played by Don Gilet, and his team must grapple with the grand egos of this ‘motley group of thespians’.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, played by Catherine Garton, is troubled when one of the cast members pursues a very personal vendetta against her.

Also during the episode, Mervin is informed that his half-brother, Solomon, is set to inherit everything from their deceased mother and promptly sell it off.

Mervin is desperate to hold onto some kind of memento of her. However, Solomon will not return any of his calls and with time slipping away, Mervin may need to go to unexpected lengths to reach his brother.

In an exclusive first look clip, it sees one of the theatre members, Jez Gorman, pester Mattie. Jez is played by actor, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, who is best known for playing Mark Bolland in The Crown. Other roles include Sanditon, The Next Level, I Fought the Law, Industry, and film Me Before You.

Jez is waiting for Mattie after work as he offers her a drink, saying: “I thought I could help you wind down after a hard day’s policing the streets. I’ve got some beers, a picnic blanket, and thought we could find a quiet beach… get to know each other!”

However, Mattie is quick to say: “Mr Gorman, did we not already have this conversation?” to which Jez replies: “We did, yes, but I thought what was happening was you were on duty, you had your colleagues around you, and I think you were saying what you felt you had to say.

“Come on, I’m not on this island for very long, how often do you get to do this with someone like me? Let’s just have some fun!”

At first, it seems as though Mattie is accepting the drink as she sits down next to Jez and takes the bottle of beer.

However, in a hilarious twist, she soon pours the beer over him and says: “Actually, now that I think about it… I did say that I was going to meet my friend… what’s the time?”

After pouring her beer over Jez, she exclaims: “Oh, what a shame! I do have somewhere to be right now though… do not bother me again unless it’s related to the case, Mr Gorman, you understand? Good, enjoy the rest of your evening!”

Death in Paradise airs on Fridays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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Former Death in Paradise star Ardal O’Hanlon has opened up about his time on the BBC crime drama

Ardal O’Hanlon has revealed how much he misses former co-star Don Warrington since his departure from Death in Paradise.

The comedian and actor, who portrayed DI Jack Mooney in the popular BBC crime drama, exited the show in 2020 after a three-year stint, reports the Express.

During an appearance on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on Sunday (February 22), he reflected on his time on the series after Alan asked whether it had been “emotional” to leave the island and long-time co-star Don, who portrays Commissioner Selwyn Patterson.

“He’s just brilliant, he’s brilliant,” Ardal enthused. “I miss him more than anything, actually. I loved Don and we’re still very good friends, but yeah that was kind of a bromance actually.”

He continued: “It always starts off the new detective and you know very, very wary around the inspector but eventually the inspector softens by the end.”

Although the programme is set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, most of the filming takes place in Guadeloupe.

The star said he did “love it” but also acknowledged it was “a commitment”, as it involved being away for months of the year for filming.

“I’m kind of in one way glad I don’t have to do it now because it’s like, it’s gruelling, but I look back at it very fondly,” he shared. “It was just a great adventure apart from anything else, as well as being like a, you know, a challenging acting job.”

He also shared how he enjoyed having a variety of different actors join the cast every few weeks.

“All these great great people… these people I adored,” he said. “And then you’d also get the hot shots, the up-and-coming people who have gone on to Hollywood now. We got them raw.”

Ardal, who is also known for his portrayal of Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted, went on: “Because you take great pride in the island, because I’ve been there for a few years and you get to love it and you can’t wait to show it off to them.

“So on the rare days off you’d bring them to some waterfall that only you know about or some boiling hot part of the sea like, right where the volcano heats the water, you know, that side of it I really, really loved.”

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Death in Paradise broadcasts on the BBC and Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh is on ITV.

Ardal O’Hanlon is famed for Father Ted, My Hero, and, of course, Death in Paradise as DI Jack Mooney

Netflix fans have been “hooked” by this “hilarious” new series which quietly stars a Death in Paradise icon.

Since leaving his days at Saint Marie behind as the lovable DI Jack Mooney, Irish star Ardal O’Hanlon has featured in Derry Girls, The Woman in the Wall, Extraordinary and Sherlock and Daughter, just to name a few.

Now, BBC Death in Paradise fans have stumbled upon his latest venture with Netflix’s newly released Irish comedy-drama How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.

Released last week, the eight-part comedy revolves around friends Saoirse (played by Roisin Gallagher), Robyn (Sinead Keenan) and Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne) who learn that their troubled friend Greta (Natasha O’Keefe) has mysteriously died.

O’Hanlon is behind the wacky and upbeat Seamus, the manager of the local seaside hotel where the three women stay as they investigate their friend’s death.

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Netflix fans haven’t been able to stop singing O’Hanlon’s praises with one fan describing him as an “absolute icon” in How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.

Another said: “Loved him on Death in Paradise. He was my favourite”, while a third labelled the star as “absolutely superb”.

O’Hanlon headed up Death in Paradise for three years as DI Jack Mooney before he chose to leave Saint Marie and return to London with his daughter Siobhan Mooney (Grace Stone).

He finally came to the realisation that he had been running away from grief after losing his wife so Jack chose to finally face up to reality and start over again.

Death in Paradise went on to replace O’Hanlon with Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker, followed by the latest detective Mervin Wilson, portrayed by actor Don Gilet.

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How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is currently the number one watch on Netflix with the comedic thriller brought to life by the creative team behind the hit series Derry Girls.

Creator Lisa McGee told Tudum: “This is the show I’ve always wanted to make; a mash‑up of my two favourite genres, mystery and comedy.

“We want to keep you guessing and keep you laughing. I can’t wait for you to meet Saoirse, Robyn and Dara, and go on this wild, weird adventure with them – an Irish odyssey – full of twists, turns, and arguments about eyelash extensions.”

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is available to watch on Netflix.

EXCLUSIVE: Death in Paradise star Don Gilet has spoken out about new cast member Catherine Garton who plays Sergeant Mattie Fletcher

Death in Paradise’s detective Don Gilet, who portrays Mervin Wilson in the BBC series, has praised new police officer Catherine Garton, who takes on the role of Sergeant Mattie Fletcher.

Mattie is the latest addition to the Saint Marie force and steps into the shoes of Darlene Curtis, previously played by Ginny Holder. Ginny made a quiet exit from the show after only appearing via video link in the Christmas special.

In an exclusive chat with Reach PLC and other media outlets, Don discussed the upcoming series and his experience of welcoming a fresh face to the squad.

He began by stating that Darlene was not replaced, as “you cannot replace that character”. He elaborated, “It was just the new character coming in, just a completely different energy that we weren’t expecting.

“The arrival of Mattie surprises us all as characters, and she’s a very colourful and larger-than-life character as well. So it’s always great,” reports the Express.

“It’s just the same as when new characters come in per episode, it sort of keeps things fresh, keeps the characters on their toes, brings some new and different energy in with a new storyline to go with it.”

He continued, “And again, not giving too much away, but you find out things about Mattie bit by bit as she tries to connect with her colleagues, the same way I tried to connect with my colleagues, and it didn’t happen very easily.

“She’s a great character to work with, and there’s a rebelliousness to the character that Catherine brings, which in some ways is similar to the way that Mervin works.

“So I wonder if there’s just a little tinge of admiration for the way she works that is a bit unorthodox.”

The synopsis for tonight’s episode, available to stream on BBC iPlayer, states: “A reclusive pensioner is shot dead in his home, and a figure matching the description of an unassuming accountant was witnessed fleeing the crime scene.”

It continues: “However, the suspect has a rock-solid alibi. Meanwhile, the commissioner is determined to get the islanders back on side with a community-focused initiative, but tensions rise when Mervin goes rogue during the launch event.”

Death in Paradise airs on Friday at 9pm on BBC One.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

Death In Paradise will not air in its usual Friday slot this week owing to a change in scheduling on the BBC as its replacement has now been revealed

Death In Paradise is off air this week after it was pulled from its usual slot. The BBC show is back for a new series, with DI Mervin Wilson – played by Don Gilet – at the helm.

It usually airs in the Friday 9pm slot each week on BBC One but it has been changed for this week. Death In Paradise follows the story of a British police officer in the Caribbean, working out of island paradise Saint Marie.

The BBC show will not air this Friday as planned as the BBC will instead be broadcasting the football. The FA Cup tie between Hull City and Chelsea will air that evening instead from 7.30pm, with kick off 15 minutes later.

Instead, Death In Paradise will air its latest episode on the following Monday, which follows the story of a pensioner who has been shot dead in his home. The commissioner is also busy trying to get everyone on side after his recent departure.

Meanwhile, Don Gilet previously opened up about his character’s development on the BBC detective drama series.

Speaking about his character, Don – who plays Mervin Wilson – said: “Just by his nature and the way he is when it comes to his work and the way that his mind works, there’s always going to be a bit of kickback with the people he deals with.

“Last year, there was this antagonism between Mervin and the team because they just worked in very different ways, and both had to earn the respect of each other in the way they work.”

He added: “And let’s not forget, he didn’t want to be on the island, so he was going to be particularly reluctant to work with these people because of the personal issues he was dealing with.

“But as time has moved on, he’s realised that he needs these people. They are now gelling, they’re working as a team – now it’s cracking the cases that frustrate him, and they become frustrated as a group. You’ll still see him sometimes working at odds with the team, but they know each other now and can allow for that a little more.”

Of course, in this series, there is also the twist about Mervin’s half-brother Solomon, whom he finally gets to meet this series. However, things don’t get off to a great start.

“It was a great emotional cliffhanger because at any moment in that series Mervin could have just said ‘that’s it, I’ve done my time’, and now he literally can’t go.

“The one thing he was in pursuit of at the start of this series was family, and then to throw that in at the end, that he’s not alone… He’s powerless to resist that and he has to stay now for the next chapter in his family quest, because he thought he had no family. So how can he turn his back on that?

“Well, I think phrases like ‘two peas in a pod’, do not apply… They couldn’t be more opposite. There’s Mervin and then there’s this guy who is on the opposite side of the tracks, potentially the opposite side of the law too…”

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