BBC Dᴇᴀᴛʜ In Paradise’s Don Gilet divides viewers as they ‘miss Ralf Little’
Don Gilet has divided Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise fans in his role as DI Mervin Wilson, with some declaring they "can't take to" the new addition and demanding the return of Ralf Little
Newcomer to Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise, Don Gilet, portraying Inspector Mervin Wilson, is having a rough time settling into life on the show’s make-believe Caribbean paradise, Saint Marie – set not too far off from the real island of Martinique. Arriving at his birthplace with the secret agenda of finding the mother he “never met”, his character swiftly ends up as the prime suspect in a murder case he’s supposed to be solving.
Despite his expertise, Mervin’s curt manner hasn’t won over the locals, leaving viewers at home with split opinions.
Don Gilet’s previous star turns on EastEnders , Doctor Who, and Holby City were crowd-pleasers, but filling the shoes of Ralf Little’s lovable Neville Parker is proving to be a tall order. One fan expressed their dissatisfaction with the change, posting: “Bring back Neville! Not sure I like this new DI! ” Another shared the sentiment, tweeting: “Can’t take to this new DI. I wish they’d kept the usual kind of DI character #DeathInParadise.”
New British detective DI Mervin Wilson made his show debut this week
Some criticism got particularly harsh, with a viewer branding him as a “shocking” actor, while another threw shade at his candid approach, commenting: “Mervin’s a bit rude, especially to the ladies! #DeathInParadise.”
Mervin wasn’t hiding his dislike for the Caribbean from the get-go, at one point venting, “It’s so damn quiet here – there’s literally no-one here”, only to be reminded it was Christmas Day. The backlash from his colleague was sharp, asserting it was tough not to take Mervin’s gripes about the island to heart – and he’d said much worse before, reports the Express.
Several viewers however have still been lamenting the loss of fan favourite Ralf Little, who bowed out of the show earlier this year (
Red Planet Pictures)
“This dude ain’t going to last long if he keeps disrespecting women like that,” pointed out one viewer of Mervin’s disrespectful attitude. Another suggested Catherine Bordey (played by Elizabeth Bourgine) may very well “slap him into politeness” after witnessing such behaviour in previous episodes towards other characters such as the late Richard Poole (Ben Miller).
Suspicion even arises among his own team, pondering if the new face could actually be behind a gruesome murder. Audiences are relishing the onscreen drama, with one fan commenting: “They think the guy investigating the crimes is the murderer. That’s some Agatha Christie level of thinking, and I am here for it! “.
