Death In Paradise star Ralf Little has broken his silence on his departure from the BBC show.
His character DI Neville Parker said goodbye to Saint Marie Island in Sunday night’s episode, leaving viewers in tears.
The BBC confirmed that Ralf had left the show after the finale aired, and Red Planet Pictures executive producer Tim Key paid tribute to his lead actor.
And in a video posted to his Instagram after the show, Ralf posted a long message to his fans saying it was an “absolute privilege” to play Neville.
He said, ‘There you go! The secret is out! My stay in Saint Marie has come to an end. But what an ending!
Death In Paradise star Ralf Little has broken his silence on his departure from the BBC show in a new video.
His character DI Neville Parker said goodbye to Saint Marie Island in Sunday night’s episode, leaving viewers in tears.
‘New adventures await Neville and he got to sail off into the sunset with his best friend and, you know, who knows what will happen to them next! I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who watched and supported the show.
‘When I arrived four and a half years ago, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Entering a series loved by millions, including me, was a huge responsibility.
“I had no idea whether viewers would accept my interpretation of Neville’s character, and indeed mine, so it was a huge relief that the response has been overwhelming.
‘It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to bring you Neville Parker and share with you his truly profound journey. I can’t thank you all enough for the support over the last four and a half years and as Neville heads off on new challenges and adventures and I head off on new challenges and adventures.’
He continued: “When I look back on my time at Death In Paradise, the way everyone took Neville into their hearts, it truly has been one of the most magical and profound experiences of my entire life. If it weren’t for all of you, I would never I could have done it. Thank you very much!
‘What’s next for the show? Well, I couldn’t even tell you if I knew, but I don’t know! I don’t know! But what I do know is that the team that makes it, the producers, the writers, the directors, the entire crew, the guest cast, and of course, my absolutely magnificent co-stars.
‘They know what they are doing and the future is in good hands! So I will be watching series 14 along with you with the same excitement as all of you. I can’t wait to see what happens next!’
The video also shared by the official Death In Paradise Instagram account had the title: ‘What can we say? @ralf.little, thank you so much for bringing Neville to life, we loved watching every minute. #DeathInParadise.’
In a video posted to his Instagram after the show, Ralf posted a long message to his fans saying it was an “absolute privilege” to play Neville.
Ralf’s final episode aired on Sunday night, leaving viewers in tears as the story of his exit was finally revealed, as he rushed to be with fan-favourite DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert).
Viewers decided it was the perfect ending for the two characters, with one tweeting: “I’m sobbing, Neville and Florence sailing into the sun together was the perfect ending.”
Ralf’s final episode aired on Sunday night and left viewers in tears when the story of his exit was finally revealed.
After fears that his character was planning to leave Saint Marie Island alone, the final scenes of season 13 saw him rush to be with fan-favorite DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) after his story of ‘them, right?’ came to her emotional conclusion. .
After an intervention from his friends and colleagues, Neville ran to the harbor to tell Florence how he felt, leaving viewers in tears when he declared: “If the unknown is all you have to offer, then that’s enough for me.” All I want is for us to be together.’
The final scene saw the two sailing off into the sunset together.
At the beginning of the episode, Neville was on a plane to Dominica when he spoke to a man who later ended up dead on a beach with a gunshot wound to the chest, prompting him to return. to Santa María to investigate the death.
However, his happy ending with Florence did not seem certain with his return to the island, as he told her that he still wanted to leave the island alone.
Fortunately, Neville’s colleagues staged an intervention, in which the protagonist finally acted on his feelings for Florence.
Viewers decided it was the perfect ending for the two characters, with one tweeting: “I’m sobbing. Neville and Florence sailing into the sun together was the perfect ending for both of them.”
‘#DeathInParadise finally managed to reunite a couple! It only took about 14 years!’ agreed another.
‘MY GOD. I can not believe it. They’re going to travel together,’ shouted another, but one more was interested to know if this was just a short break for the couple: ‘It’s just a quick holiday around the islands, right?’ They’re coming back, right? #DeathInParadise’
The BBC confirmed that Ralf left the show after the finale aired, and Red Planet Pictures executive producer Tim Key paid tribute to his lead actor.
“Joining a hit show like Death in Paradise as a lead is a daunting and risky prospect, but Ralf’s confidence and talent shone through from day one and the public response to Neville and his journey has been incredible,” he said.
“I can’t thank Ralf enough for everything he has brought to the show, on and off screen, and I wish him all the best for the future.”
Ralf was the longest-lasting lead, following in the footsteps of Ben Miller, Kris Marshall and Ardal O’Hanlon, who played the iconic role, with producers now looking for his replacement.
A fourteenth season has already been commissioned and a Christmas special is planned with filming to take place in the coming months.
Ralf, 44, previously described playing the show’s lead role as a “dream role”, emphasizing the quality of the show and dismissing the idea of it being a “guilty pleasure”.
In 2021 he said: “I’m still trying to gently deflect the narrative from that phrase. What is there to be guilty of? It is a high quality show, with a complex murder with new characters and a mystery that must be solved and they do it all in one hour.
And it looks beautiful. A murder has never been so pleasant. It is an incredible achievement. “It’s something I’m very proud of.”
The series, set on the island of Saint Marie, was the BBC’s third biggest drama in the UK in 2023, just behind Happy Valley and Doctor Who.
The drama has had great global success, reaching more than 240 territories. Its 100th episode will air during the current season.
Ralf was the longest-lasting lead, following in the footsteps of Ben Miller, Kris Marshall and Ardal O’Hanlon, who played the iconic role, with producers now looking for his replacement.
The series, set on the island of Saint Marie, was the BBC’s third biggest drama in the UK in 2023, just behind Happy Valley and Doctor Who.
Since it was announced that Ralf would be leaving the show after four years as Saint Marie’s lead detective, rumors have swirled about who will replace him.
A host of stars have been chosen as follows: Simon Bird, from The Inbetweeners, is the bookies’ favourite.
Betfred’s chance of Simon, 39, taking on the role is 5/4, with a 44 per cent chance.
Meanwhile, the second star most likely to step in is Diane Morgan, best known for her iconic character Philomena Cunk.