Ralf Little is returning to screens tonight as DI Neville Parker, the detective he played for years on Death in Paradise. The comeback comes as the actor prepares to bid an emotional farewell to his stage role in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.
A familiar face returns to Saint Marie
Tonight's return will see Ralf reunite with several familiar faces, as a repeat instalment of Death in Paradise hits the screens. Neville won't be the sole familiar face returning, as viewers will be thrilled to see Tahj Miles, who portrays Trainee Officer Pryce, alongside Josephine Jobert, who played DS Florence Cassell.
The synopsis for tonight's episode, which is from series 11, reads: "When a prestigious chess match ends in murder, the team members have to work out how and why the killing was carried out. Meanwhile, the Commissioner is confronted with his past by the very last person he was expecting to see."
Why Ralf Little left the show
Ralf was the show's longest-standing detective before Don Gilet took over. He left Death in Paradise in March 2024 at the end of Series 13. He stated that his character, DI Neville Parker, reached a natural conclusion by sailing off with Florence Cassell.
While he loved the role, he has no active plans to return, as the show has moved forward with new lead detectives. Discussing the reason for his exit in a previous interview on BBC Breakfast, 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. 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. But just for the show, and for my character Neville, it just felt like his story, it deserved to be finished, and his journey deserved to be completed and he deserved a nice happy ending, and so it just felt right."
A heartfelt tribute to his stage co-stars
Having first aired on BBC One back in 2011, Death in Paradise has grown into one of the broadcaster's most beloved drama series. Throughout its run, a number of actors have stepped into the role of lead detective, among them Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, and, most recently, Don Gilet, who plays DI Mervin Wilson and will be returning this year for the Christmas special.
Ralf has spent the past few months performing in the stage production. As the curtain came down on the play, Ralf took to Instagram to pay a heartfelt tribute to his fellow cast and crew. He wrote: "An amazing few months with the best cast and crew. A huge thank you to everyone who came to see @spyonstage. That's a wrap."
Death in Paradise airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
