Since Death in Paradise first aired in 2011, BBC viewers have seen many actors take on the role of Detective Inspector on the popular crime drama. The series began with Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole, who stayed for two series before Kris Marshall took over as DI Humphrey Goodman. Although Marshall remains in the Paradise universe with his own spin-off, he left Saint Marie in 2017. Ardal O'Hanlon then joined as DI Jack Mooney, followed by Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker in 2020. After Parker left the island to be with DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert), Don Gilet now stars as DI Mervin Wilson.
Fans Spot a Pattern
As the show frequently introduces a new Detective Inspector every few years, some fans have already begun speculating who might replace Gilet when the time comes. On a Reddit thread, one viewer highlighted a potential trend: previous DIs appeared as suspects in earlier episodes before taking on the lead role.
The fan wrote: "I'm doing a full rewatch and I was surprised to find 2 very familiar faces in early episodes. In season 2 episode 6, Ralf Little (DI Neville Parker) is a suspect in DI Richard Poole's case. In season 4 episode 1, Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson) is a suspect in DI Humphrey Goodman's case. If we follow the trend and pick a suspect from DI Jack Mooney's era to be the next DI, who would you like it to be?"
Viewers Share Their Picks
Fans quickly responded with their own suggestions. One person replied: "S7E2 Mark Benton?" Another agreed: "He's fabulous in Shakespeare & Hathaway! Definitely would be great DI." A third added: "He's even more fabulous in Smoggie Queens!"
Another viewer suggested: "That bloke who played Neil in The Inbetweeners was one of the suspects in the Zoo episode. He was dumb in The Inbetweeners like Dougal in Father Ted, so maybe he could be a clever DI like Jack."
However, someone else proposed that Ralf Little's real-life friend Will Mellor would be a great addition to the BBC show.
Death in Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
