The Death in Paradise 2025 Christmas Special, airing on December 28, will see DI Mervin Wilson and his team investigate a murder at a villa, but one key figure will be notably absent: Commissioner Selwyn Patterson. Selwyn, played by Don Warrington, departed Saint Marie at the end of the previous series, leaving a significant emotional gap in the team.
Don Gilet, who portrays DI Mervin, explained how Selwyn's departure affects the characters. 'You see how it impacts the characters, thinking that somebody who has employed them and has been there seemingly forever suddenly goes, well, I'm off,' he said. Gilet noted that Selwyn was the only one who truly understood Mervin from a paternal perspective, and his absence has left an emotional hole that the team must now navigate.
In the series 14 finale, Selwyn was reinstated as commissioner after a campaign by his colleagues, but he chose to decline the role. He informed Catherine Bordey of his decision to leave, stating, 'It felt wrong to say yes, too much has happened, and right now, I can't see a way to get back to how things were.' Catherine, played by Élizabeth Bourgine, expressed her disappointment but pledged to support him.
The Christmas Special's synopsis reveals a baffling case: four colleagues wake from a Christmas party to find a stranger shot dead in their pool. The murder weapon was locked in a drawer thousands of miles away in Swindon, and the victim had a reindeer's name tattooed on his palm. The team must unravel a web of secrets to solve the crime.
