When is Death In Paradise back? BBC confirms guests stars and launch date of season 15 - and it's only days away
There is huge news for Death In Paradise fans as the launch date for season 15 has finally been confirmed by the BBC.
The hit cosy crime drama returned to screens over the Christmas period for a new special, leaving many viewers hoping for more action from Saint Marie soon.
Now the BBC has confirmed that Death In Paradise fans only have a handful of days to wait until DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) returns.
Death In Paradise will return for its 15th season on Friday, January 30 from 9pm. Episodes will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The new series will see DI Wilson and his team taking on a new set of cases in the tropical paradise. Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) makes a return to the island following his surprise appearance in both the Death In Paradise and Beyond Paradise Christmas specials last month.
The returning Commissioner shocked fans when he departed Saint Marie in the series 14 finale. After he appeared to be replaced by Sterling Fox as commisioner, Selwyn was left questioning his future on the island.
While his higher-ups realised they had made a mistake and offered him his job back, Selwyn rejected the offer, telling Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine): “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.”
It looked like the legendary character, who has been in all 14 series of the show up until this point, was heading for an exit from the show. But his appearance in the Christmas changed everything, with Selwyn getting a taste for fighting crime once again and phoning his former bosses to ask if they had filled his position yet.
Other returning stars include Shantol Jackson as Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah as Officer Sebastian Rose, and Elizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey.
There is also a new face on the team. Catherine Garton joins the show as new recruit Sergeant Mattie Fletcher who is thrown straight into the thick of it.
Speaking about the character, Garton said: “Audiences can expect some action. Someone who's lovable and who's trying their best, but almost to a fault. She has something to prove to herself and to others and sometimes she can do that to her detriment, but it comes from a place of passion. They will see ups, downs and lots of sass!”
A number of guest stars will also feature in Death In Paradise season 15. These include:
- Siobhan Finneran
- Scarlett Alice Johnson
- Hermione Norris
- Steffan Rhodri
- Ben Willbond
- Sarah Hadland
- Gary Wilmot
- Tim McMullan
- Julian Rhind-Tutt
- Ace Bhatti
- Louis Davison
- Sean Delaney
- Lizzie Davidson
- Kojo Kamara
- Layo-Christina Akinlude
- Sandra James-Young
- Phoebe Sparrow
- Antonia Bernath
- Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge
Don Gilet, who joined the show in 2024 as head detective Mervin Wilson, also opened up on what viewers can expect in the new series. He said: “Just by his [Wilson’s] nature and the way he is when it comes to his work and the way that his mind works, there’s always going to be a bit of kickback with the people he deals with. Last year, there was this antagonism between Mervin and the team because they just worked in very different ways, and both had to earn the respect of each other in the way they work.
“And let's not forget, he didn't want to be on the island, so he was going to be particularly reluctant to work with these people because of the personal issues he was dealing with. But as time has moved on, he's realised that he needs these people. They are now gelling, they're working as a team – now it’s cracking the cases that frustrate him, and they become frustrated as a group. You’ll still see him sometimes working at odds with the team, but they know each other now and can allow for that a little more.”