Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise star Don Warrington’s family tragedy away from the cameras
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise's Don Warrington bid farewell to the crime series back in March after 14 years on the programme. Let's take a look inside his life.
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise star Don Warrington left the BBC show back in March (Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise star Don Warrington – who portrayed Commissioner Selwyn Patterson – was certainly a fan favourite on the hit BBC show. So it was a difficult watch for fans to say goodbye to the veteran character after he left the show back in March after 14 years on the beloved crime sitcom.
Just last series, the show marked an incredible 100 episodes of the long-running series. Speaking about his favourite moments from his time on the programme, he confessed that he enjoyed working with all of the inspectors on the show and they all hold a special place in his heart. As the actor celebrates his 74th birthday with his nearest and dearest, fans are curious about his life behind the scenes.
The actor boasts strong links to several soap operas (Image: BBC)
The beloved BBC star has previously opened up about his family’s poignant history, and his connections to soap opera royalty through his wife and son, who are also actors.
Acclaimed actor Don is married to the renowned actress Mary Maddocks. She has graced some of the most popular television shows of British TV; such as Coronation Street, Doctor Who and Midsomer Murders. Mary has also made her mark in the West End as a director and starred in The Rocky Horror Show musical.
The couple, who have been together for over three decades, are parents to two adult sons, Jacob and Archie. Archie, who goes by his mother’s surname Maddocks, is also making strides in the entertainment industry as a playwright and a stand-up comedian.
He was a finalist for both the New Acts of the Year, and English Comedian of the year in 2014. His debut show Shirts vs Skins received acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016.
The TV star lost his father when he was just six years old (Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Denis Guyenon)
In addition to his stand-up performances, he has appeared on the panel show Guessable, and contributed as a writer on the TV series Intergalactic and Gassed Up.
Sadly, Don’s personal life has not been without tragedy. His father, Basil Kydd, a Trinidadian politician, died suddenly at the age of 48 when Don was just six years old.
Speaking to the Guardian, Don said: “My father is a shadow. He died when I was six; when I think of him, I just see a shape. He was a myth to me. I know stuff about his life and Dᴇᴀᴛʜ , but I can’t see a full person. When I had children myself, it meant I had to make up what being a father was.”
Don has also revealed to the Daily Mail that he was uncertain if his parents were ever married, and shared that his father was significantly older and had a reputation for being a womaniser. After his father’s Dᴇᴀᴛʜ , his mother Shirley decided to start anew in England with her children.
Shirley, who used to be a hairdresser, took a new job at a metal factory in Newcastle. She saved enough money to bring her sons over by ship, a journey Don recalls took nearly three weeks.
The actor shared his heartbreaking experiences of being picked on as the only black child in his school, saying: “The way you survive in these circumstances is to become a Geordie who was good at football – and got nicknamed the Young Pele.
“Occasionally, I got called rude names, but I was good at defending myself. And the kids were kinder than the teachers: I’m left-handed, which schools tried to discourage in those days, and I remember my English teacher saying, ‘Did you learn to write up a tree’.”
