Ralf Little has departed Death in Paradise, prompting intense speculation from fans over how his exit could impact the future of the show.
The fan favourite actor, 44, has played the show’s lead character, DI Neville Parker, for nearly five years.
His final appearance took place on Sunday night’s series 13 finale and saw the character continue with his hunt to find true love.
So, will there be a 14th season of Death In Paradise? When is Return To Paradise next on TV?
Read on below for everything you need to know about the future of Death In Paradise.
Ralf Little has departed Death in Paradise, prompting intense speculation from fans over how his exit could impact the future of the show
The fan favourite actor, 44, has played the show’s lead character, DI Neville Parker for nearly five years
Will there be a Death In Paradise season 14?
The BBC has confirmed that Death In Paradise will be returning for season 14, with a likely broadcast date of January 2025.
With Neville (Ralf Little) and Florence (Joséphine Jobert) potentially having the chance to strengthen their relationship away from the island of Saint Marie before their next appearance, there is a possibility that Florence features more regularly on the show.
Some, though, have speculated that the blooming relationship could signal the perfect time for Neville to say goodbye to his colleagues on Saint Marie, with the character expressing his desire to travel.
Other fans appeared to be slightly more sceptical about Little’s departure from the show.
In response to a BBC social media post, some fans insisted that he will be back for season 14, stating: ‘Ralf confirmed he’ll return for the next season,’ while another said ‘the actors are signed on for another season!’
To see what will really happen next, viewers will have to tune into the next series of Death In Paradise when it airs in 2025.
The first actor to take on the role of Saint Marie’s Detective Inspector was Ben Miller, who played DI Richard Poole (pictured)
When is Return To Paradise on TV?
Another spin-off of the show, named Return to Paradise, will be available to watch later this year.
An Australian version of the hugely popular UK drama will be set in the serene beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove.
The plotline follows Mackenzie Clarke, an ex-Metropolitan Police officer who moves back to Australia after earning a reputation for being able to solve extremely complex cases while part of the police force in England.
Having escaped her hometown at the earliest opportunity six years previous, Mackenzie will be force to contend with unanswered questions after returning down under for the first time.
Speaking about the new show, Sue Deeks, head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said: ‘Everything we all love about Death in Paradise – the humour, the beautiful scenery, the likeable characters, the ingenious plots – [will now be] in a fabulous Australian setting.
‘I cannot wait for BBC viewers to be introduced to Detective Mack and the good (and not so good!) folk of Dolphin Cove. What a treat we have in store!’
The series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The next actor to step into the role was My Family’s Kris Marshall, who played clumsy DI Humphrey Goodman
Following his exit, Father Ted actor Ardal O’Hanlon joined the show as DI Jack Mooney as holiday cover, before staying for the next three years
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