Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise’s brand new detective lead Don Gilet made his debut on Sunday evening, and fans have praised his performance.
The EastEnders actor, 57, played Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson in the Christmas special, taking over from Ralf Little’s DI Neville Parker.
The episode saw DI Wilson holidaying in a fictional Caribbean island, St Marie, when Commissioner Patterson gets in touch about a festive murder case.
Fans of the show – now in its 14th season – took to social media to share their thoughts about the new starring actor, with many impressed at Don’s performance.
‘Just watched it. It was a brilliant show so enjoyed it the new DI is so different to others I like it,’ said @inkydeedi.
@AndrewRCushing added: ‘I love this time of year, not because it’s Christmas but Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise is back and Don Gilét is a perfect fit.’
Big fan @GP98765432 said: ‘The change over of DI in Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise is a bit like the change over of The Doctor in Doctor Who.
‘Weird at first & you keep expecting to see the face you know & love, but you’re sure before long it will feel like the new guy’s always been there.’
‘Don Gilet is fabulous in Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise – at last an actor in the role. A proper breath of fresh air,’ agreed @NickDentsBrain.
@mochamyeon said: ‘The best way i can describe the new Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in paradise inspector is he thinks he’s in a completely different tv show to everyone else. he’s in a gritty london drama series and everyone else is in a lighthearted comedy
It’s not Don’s first time on the Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise set, as he actually appeared in the season 4 premiere of the long-running series in 2015 – but he was playing the murderer.
The episode, Stab in the Dark, saw the owner of a rum distillery murdered during a séance, with Don’s character Andre Morgan eventually unveiled as the culprit.
Don appears in the brand new 2025 season alongside returning Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise regulars Don Warrington, Shantol Jackson, Ginny Holder, Élizabeth Bourgine and Danny John-Jules.
Speaking about his exit on BBC Breakfast in May, former Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise lead Ralf said: ‘This last series was always going to be my last series, I had talks with the BBC, and with Red Planet, the production company and we all agreed that it just felt… if it was in my heart, like if it was just a heart decision, I’d have wanted to do it for 20 more years.’
It’s not been confirmed exactly when Dᴇᴀᴛʜ In Paradise season 14 will resume for the remainder of the series following the Christmas special, but it will likely be in early 2025.
The Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise Christmas special is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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