Why Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise stars quit show after double exit as one swears to never return
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise viewers were rocked by a big shake-up earlier this year.
Ralf, who played DI Neville Parker for four years, shocked fans when his character left Saint Marie for good in March.
There had been rumours that he might have quit the show but the BBC only confirmed Ralf’s departure after the emotional episode aired.
A month after his exit, the 44-year-old actor revealed that it had been planned all along.
“This last series was always going to be my last,” Ralf told BBC Breakfast viewers, before going on to explain that he worked closely with the BBC and production company Red Planet Pictures to give his character a meaningful send-off.
Two Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise stars exited the crime drama earlier this year (Image: BBC)
He went on to share the reason why he decided to walk away from the crime drama, saying: “If it was just a heart decision, I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years.
“But for the show and for my character Neville, it just sort of felt like his story was finished, and his journey deserved to be completed.”
In his final scenes, Neville confesses his feelings to DS Florence Cassell (played by Joséphine Jobert) after years of romantic tension.
She reciprocated his advances, and the pair sailed off into the sunset, giving fans a long-awaited happy ending.
The actors have explained why they left Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise (Image: BBC)
After her final scenes, the actress behind Florence made it clear she won’t be returning to Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise – or its spin-offs.
Joséphine Jobert, who first joined the show in season 4, has had multiple dramatic exits.
However, she has insisted that her character’s latest departure is her last.
When asked by a fan if she would consider returning to the show during an Instagram Q&A, Jobert responded: “I think I can safely say no.”
She went on to add: “I’ve already left and come back many times and I’ve definitely done my time on the show.
“I’ve finally been able to say goodbye to Florence, and while I am very grateful to have been part of this project that has brought so many lovely things in my life, I am also happy to be able to move on and take part in new projects.”
Joséphine’s next venture will see her co-star in the Canadian crime drama Saint-Pierre, alongside Jack Ryan’s Allan Hawco and James Purefoy.
Meanwhile Ralf has gone on to join the cast of a dystopian thriller called The Flaw.
