BBC Beyond Paradise’s Sally Bretton addresses show exit she ‘wasn’t ready’ for
Actress Sally Bretton has opened up about her time on the BBC detective drama and the spin-off series Beyond Paradise, where she stars alongside Kris Marshall
Sally Bretton, famed for her portrayal of Martha Lloyd in the BBC favourites Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise, has shared that departing from the idyllic detective series in 2017 was not a choice she embraced with open arms.
Stepping into the shoes of Detective Humphrey Goodman’s fiancée (Kris Marshall), Sally first appeared on screens as Martha in 2017, quickly endearing herself to viewers as she re-ignited a past romance with Humphrey, which culminated in his departure from Saint Marie to London.
While appearing on This Morning, Sally admitted she would have been delighted to extend her time on the show. When asked about her readiness to leave the beautiful Caribbean behind, she gave an unequivocal “No!”
She elaborated: “I was only out there for four or five weeks. I didn’t get any of the hurricanes; I got it at just the perfect time. I had an amazing time.”
Humphrey and Martha on Beyond Paradise(Image: BBC)
Keenly seizing the chance to revisit her role as Martha in the BBC One continuation, Sally has embraced her character’s new trajectory.
“I was part of Kris’ exit storyline from the Caribbean, and then we were in the first lockdown, and the phone rang,” she recalled during her chat with This Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God!’. Even if it doesn’t happen, it was just three weeks of thinking about that while the world had stopped. It was to have something to sink my teeth into.”
Martha’s stint on Death in Paradise didn’t last long(Image: (Image: BBC))
The series also features Open All Hours alumna Barbara Flynn as Martha’s mother, Anne, and Zahra Ahmadi, who plays Humphrey’s colleague at the Shipton Abbott police force, DS Esther Williams.
Dylan Llewellyn and Felicity Montagu complete the line-up, playing fellow officers and colleagues of Humphrey.
Series three of Beyond Paradise, which aired earlier this year, saw Humphrey and Martha appear to be in a more positive space as they proceeded with their fostering journey.
However, it was a bittersweet ending for the duo as they had to say goodbye to their foster child, Rosie.
Both Beyond Paradise and Death in Paradise are available for viewing on BBC iPlayer.
