Death in Paradise fans were recently left stunned after Ralf Little’s time as the crime drama’s main detective came to an end.
Little’s final scenes as DI Neville Parker were aired in the latest episode as he and DS Florence Cassell (played by Joséphine Jobert) walked away, hand in hand, for a new start.
One key question now remains on all fans’ lips: who will replace Little as the new detective of the Saint Marie police department?
The BBC drama usually sees a new face take centre stage every couple of years, and Little is now officially the show’s longest-serving protagonist.
Now that he’s gone, another actor will soon have big shoes to fill, and of course, several names are already circulating in the rumour mill.
Among them is popular actor Martin Clunes. The Men Behaving Badly star is an early favourite to replace Little, according to betideas.com.
Ralf Little left his role on Death in Paradise on Sunday
Getty/BBC
The betting site has said Clunes, 62, is leading a star-studded lineup of potential replacements for the role.
He is currently topping the list, with odds of 5/2. More veteran actors follow in Clunes’ place, with Sanjeev Bhaskar and Toby Jones 6/1 apiece, while Bill Nighy is a 7/1 selection.
Neil Roarty, spokesperson for betideas.com, said: “Ralf Little’s departure from Death in Paradise means there’s a big question mark over who will replace character Neville Parker in the popular BBC show, with Martin Clunes our early favourite for the role.
“The Doc Martin star is by no means a heavy favourite at 5/2 but nonetheless leads the betting ahead of Sanjeev Bhaskar and Toby Jones (6/1), while Bill Nighy (7/1) and Martin Freeman (10/1) are also rumoured for the role.”
The Doc Martin star could be the one to replace Little as the island's new detective
Getty
Clunes could definitely bring a new element to Death in Paradise as his detective would likely be very different to Little's.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one penned: “If they’re going travelling, will there just be a new off-screen detective taking charge, just Naomi and team or something else?”
“So are we gonna be getting a new detective then?” another asked before a third exclaimed: “NOW HAVE TO WAIT TILL CHRISTMAS TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS.”
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Little's Death in Paradise character Neville left after reuniting with Florence
BBC
Talking about Little's exit from Death in Paradise, a source told The Mirror: “Ralf has been brilliant in the role and he’s given it a good long run.
“Fans are sure to be sad to see him go but they’ll also be happy for Neville.”
The series has been commissioned for a 14th series, but hopefully fans will learn who their new main detective will be in a Christmas special this year.