Death In Paradise star Ralf Little has revealed the real reason why he decided to leave the BBC show.
His character, DI Neville Parker, said goodbye to Saint Marie Island at the end of last month, leaving viewers in tears.
His departure came as a shock to fans, with the BBC only confirming that Ralf had left the show after the finale aired.
And speaking about his exit from BBC Breakfast on Friday, the actor, 44, admitted he had always planned for this series to be his last and felt he had to step away for the sake of his character.
He told hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt: ‘You know, this last series was always going to be my last series. “I spoke to the BBC and Red Planet, the production company, and we all agreed.”
Death In Paradise star Ralf Little has revealed the REAL reason he left the BBC show and admitted he always knew this series would be his last.
His character, DI Neville Parker, said goodbye to Saint Marie Island at the end of last month, leaving viewers in tears.
Ralf admitted: ‘If it was just a decision of the heart, I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years.
“But just because of the show and because of my character Neville I felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed.
‘He deserved a happy ending and it felt good.
Speaking about getting the role in the first place, he said: “As an actor, you’re used to saying, ‘Oh, well, I didn’t get that one. Oh, great, I got that one,” and you try not to get too excited or disappointed as a way to maintain your sanity.
But when I got that one, there sure was some celebrations. I mean, who doesn’t want to work in the Caribbean on one of the most beloved shows that they were a fan of before participating?
After Ralf’s final episode aired on March 25, the star took to Instagram and told his fans 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!
‘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.
He told hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt: ‘You know, this last series was always going to be my last series. I spoke to the BBC and Red Planet, the production company, and we all agreed.’
Ralf admitted: ‘If it was just a decision of the heart, I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years. “But just because of the series and because of my character Neville I felt that his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed.”
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.
‘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!’
In the final scenes of season 13, Ralf rushed to be with fan-favorite DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) after their “will they, won’t they?” 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.
Ralf was the show’s 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, Inbetweeners star Simon Bird is the bookies’ favourite, while Diane Morgan and Matthew Horne are also apparently in the running for the role.
Betfred has predicted Simon’s odds are 5/4, giving him a 44 per cent chance of being named.
The actor, 39, made his breakthrough in the 1990s in the multi-award-winning E4 comedy series The Inbetweeners.
Having created many memorable catchphrases on the show as the geeky but affable Simon McKenzie, the actor revealed that he is still called ‘bus w****r’ regularly, in reference to his character’s introduction to the series.
Next in the running for Death In Paradise is Diane Morgan, who would be the show’s first female lead.
With odds of 7/1, the comedian has a 12.5 percent chance of being named for the role.
Diane, 48, is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Philomena Cunk, a ditzy interviewer and commentator, who first appeared in a regular segment on Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe show.
The bookies’ favorite to take on the new detective role is Simon Bird, with Betfred odds of 5/4 giving him a 44 per cent chance of being named.
Next in the running for Death In Paradise is Diane Morgan, who would be the show’s first female lead. At odds of 7/1, the comedian has a 12.5 percent chance of being named.
British-Sri Lankan comedian Romesh Rangathan has his name on the list with odds of 8/1 and a chance of 11.1 per cent.
At odds of 5/1, Mathew Horne has worked his way into second place in the betting, with a 16.7 per cent chance of being named.
He began his career as part of the comedy duo Mat and MacKinnon and after being seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Catherine Tate, he landed a role on her sketch show as Jamie, Nan’s grandson.
From 2007 to 2010 he starred in the double BAFTA-winning series Gavin & Stacey as the title character alongside the likes of Joanna Page, James Corden and Ruth Jones.
British-Sri Lankan comedian Romesh Rangathan has his name on the list with odds of 8/1 and a chance of 11.1 per cent.
The comedian, 45, was previously a maths teacher and head of sixth form at Hazelwick School in Crawley before turning to stand-up.
Romesh has become one of the BBC’s biggest stars in recent years and has presented the revival of The Weakest Link since 2021, replacing Anne Robinson.