Following the announcement that Don Gilet is the latest British actor to take on the lead role in Death In Paradise, eagle-eyed fans of the hit crime show have pointed out that Don has appeared in the popular series once before.
It turns out that Don was in the first episode of fourth series, Stab in the Dark in 2015 in which a rum distillery owner named Elias was murdered during a seance on the island of Saint Marie. The episode, which also marked the first appearance of fan favourite character Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert), had DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) investigating the businessman’s death, and eventually deducing that the murderer was Elias’s employee Andre – played by Don Gilet.
It’s not the first time that a Death in Paradise guest star has become the show’s star. Ralf Little, who recently quit the series as DI Neville Parker, originally popped up in an second season episode called A Dash of Sunshine – though he didn’t play the murderer.
Fans were quick to comment on social media following Don Gilet’s casting announcement. “Hasn’t he already been a baddie in this?” commented one, while another warned some viewers may not be happy about the casting. “I think the thing is that Ralf wasn’t the murderer, he was just in it, whereas bringing back a murderer as a detective might get some people’s knickers in a twist unless they address it on the show.”
Another viewer pointed out that Don will be playing a different character this time around, explaining that: “In shows like Law & Order most of the lawyers played murderers in previous episodes, they’re jobbing actors.”
Don will make his first appearance as Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson in the Christmas episode of Death in Paradise, and will then star in a new series of the show in early 2025. The BBC aren’t revealing much about Mervin’s background yet, but have announced he’s a Londoner who isn’t impressed with his new home on Saint Marie.
Speaking about his casting, Don said: "This is a big show, with a big heart and the love continually grows for it. It is my intention to never lose sight of that and to remain grateful, humbled and dedicated. Even during those testing times when every sinew is screaming at me to run off the set and dive into the sea, swimming pool or an ice-cold beer – whichever happens to be closer at the time!"
Before signing up for filming Death in Paradise on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe – that doubles for Saint Marie – Don Gilet was best known for playing serial killer Lucas Johnson on EastEnders, a role he played between 2008 and February 2024. He has also appeared in Babyfather, Doctor Who (in 2006’s Christmas special, The Runaway Bride), the Netflix Harlan Coben adaptation The Stranger and alongside Jason Statham in the 2024 action movie The Beekeeper.
