Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise’s Ben Miller’s exit explained as ‘heart of show has been ripped out’
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise sees Mervin Wilson return as the new DI, but will he become as popular as his predecessors?
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise is back on BBC One with Don Gilet stepping into the role of DI Mervin Wilson, the new detective. He initially struggled to bond with his colleagues, who saw him as ignorant and rude.
However, he has already started to prove his worth on the island and has shown some compassion towards his team. While he finds his feet on Saint Marie, fans have been reminiscing about the other lead detectives on the show.
The first detective in the series was Richard Poole, played by Ben Miller. At the start of season three, Poole was murdered and clumsy London Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) was sent to investigate the Dᴇᴀᴛʜ of his predecessor.
Actor Ben had a good reason for leaving the role as he was about to become a father, and wanted to prioritise his family. He told Digital Spy: “Two weeks after I arrived in the Caribbean, Jessica found out that she was pregnant.
“I’ve just got divorced and I’ve finally met somebody and now I’m on the other side of the world and we’re having a baby. That’s a proper curveball to be on the end of. So I knew what I had to do to get my wife back – quit Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise.”
DI Richard Poole (BEN MILLER) and Camille Bordey (SARA MARTIN) (Image: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Denis Guyenon)
He didn’t rule out a return and made a comeback as part of the show’s 10th anniversary with a ghostly cameo.
Fans took to Reddit to discuss their thoughts on Ben leaving the show, with one saying: “It was my favourite series and now the heart of it’s been ripped out.
“It just won’t be the same – it’s exactly like what happened when Charlie Sheen left Two and a Half Men, the charm was gone, even though only one cast member left.”
When fans first learnt of his departure, bobafett86 said: “Well that’s depressing news.”
Richard Poole returned for season 10 (Image: BBC / Red Planet / Denis Guyenon)
Beatski shared: “Well, that’s that ruined. why the hell has this happened?”
Lomoeffect said: “What?! I can’t see how the series is going to work without him.”
Ben went on to have another child with his wife, production executive Jessica Parker, so they now have a son and a daughter.
He had married actress Belinda Stewart-Wilson in 2004 and they had a son before divorcing in 2011.
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise airs on BBC One on Fridays at 9pm
