Josephine Jobert, known for her role as Florence Cassell in BBC One's Death in Paradise, has explained the reasons behind her departure from the show. In a video message to fans, the French actress cited personal and professional reasons, assuring viewers there was "nothing dramatic" about her decision. She said: "Everything is fine it's just that I've been working on Death in Paradise for five years. I loved every minute of it."
Jobert first joined the series in 2015 and initially left in 2019, but returned for seasons 10 and 11, and again in 2024 when her character emerged from witness protection. She admitted she thought she had left for good after series eight, but was persuaded to come back for series ten. "I already left in series eight, I thought it would be for good, honestly, I thought, 'I'm done,'" she told Hello! magazine. "Then they asked me back for series ten as I was like, 'Hmmm I don't know, okay I'm going to do it.'"
The actress also teased the possibility of joining the spin-off series Beyond Paradise, revealing she had discussed it with the producer. "We'll see if that will happen. But I would love to anyway. It would be a very nice wink," she hinted.
Fans have taken to social media to praise Jobert's performance. One Reddit user called her "the heart and soul of the show," while another expressed hope that her character would have become the first non-English detective inspector. A third fan wrote: "I really miss her, honestly. While I do like Naomi, I really would have loved if Florence had become the first non-English DI in the show."
An episode featuring Jobert and Ralf Little, titled Lucky in Love, originally aired in 2021 and will be rebroadcast tonight at 9pm on BBC One. The episode sees the team investigate the death of a lottery winner whose body mysteriously disappears.
