DEATH in Paradise’s Ralf Little has revealed his future on the show beyond series 10 – and it doesn’t bode well.
The hit BBC drama returned for its 10th series last week, with Ralf back in the role of DI Neville Parker after arriving midway through series nine.
At the same time, it was announced that Death in Paradise has been recommissioned for a further two series, but whether Ralf will be around for both of them remains to be seen.
During an appearance on Graham Norton’s new Virgin Radio show, Ralf, 40, said: “I’ll be back next year, but I don’t think I’m signed for the two years.”
So while Ralf will be back for series 11, series 12 is still up in the air at the moment.
The series has changed its leading man multiple times since it began in 2011, with Ben Miller the first detective to arrive on the Caribbean island of Saint Marie.
However, his character – Richard Poole – was killed off in series three, and Kris Marshall took his place until series six.
He was then replaced by Ardal O’Hanlon from series six until midway through series nine, when Ralf took over, so if he did sign up for series 12, his stint would be on a par with all of his predecessors.
Ralf recently explained how he didn’t mind being away from home for months while filming the show.
He told The Guardian: “Of the four actors who’ve played the lead detective – Ben Miller, Kris Marshall and Ardal O’Hanlon came before me – my home situation is easiest. I don’t have kids or responsibilities.
Ralf, who is engaged to US playwright Lindsey Ferrentino, continued: “And because of my other half, I was splitting my time between the UK and US anyway. It suits my lifestyle.”
He added of the show: “It’s the first time I’ve played a legit leading man. I could pretend I was worried about taking on the responsibility, but that would be a lie. I was delighted.”
Death in Paradise continues on Thursday, January 14 at 9pm on BBC One.
