Behind the scenes of Death In Paradise

Starring in Death in Paradise sounds like the best job in the world, with the actors filming on the beautiful golden sands of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean sun. However, with four stars now departing the series – Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon and most recently Ralf Little – it’s clear that filming the tropical series may not be quite as glamorous as it seems.

As fans speculate about who will next take on the role of a British cop who relocates to the fictional island of Saint Marie, any potential leads of Death in Paradise might want to consider the challenges they might face should they accept the role.

The most daunting aspect of filming Death in Paradise is that the main actors spend half the year filming in Guadeloupe, away from their homes and families in the UK, while the crew are based there for even longer – usually 10 months.

After Kris announced that he would be leaving the show after four seasons, he explained Radio times that it was just too much of a hassle to be 4,000 miles away from home for six months or more at a time. When he joined the cast, his son Thomas was just a baby, but by the time he decided to leave, Thomas was of school age and Marshall and his wife also had a young daughter, Elsie, to care for.

“When I was offered the job, my son was six months old and my wife wasn’t working, so it was a very easy decision,” he said. “We decided I would join Death in Paradise for a couple of years before it became impractical.”

Kris’ successor Ardal hinted that the weather could be another reason for his exit when he announced his own exit from the show in 2020.

“It’s time to move on and explore other opportunities – preferably closer to the Arctic Circle,” he said at the time, and he probably didn’t just want to escape the hot sun. During his time on the island, filming of the show had to be halted due to the arrival of Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

At the time, a spokesperson for the series said metro: “The safety of the cast and crew remains our highest priority and the Death in Paradise team is in regular contact with local authorities. Filming has been suspended until we are advised it is safe to continue.”

Production was halted and a second threat from Hurricane Maria occurred just two weeks later before filming finally resumed.

Of course, it’s not all bad. The actors and crew have a lovely place to stay during filming or to shelter from the unpredictable weather. They’re all staying at the Langley Fort Royal Hotel near Deshaies, a lovely seafront resort with a pool, tennis courts, library, sailing and surfing centre and even a massage hut on the beach.

It will probably appeal to the many familiar faces, from Martin Compston and Hayley Mills to Patsy Kensit and Lisa Faulkner, who have come over to Guadeloupe for a brief visit to also film guest roles in the series.

“I don’t think many of the guest actors need convincing,” said executive producer Tim Key Radio times in March this year. “They are very happy to come and have a great time. They are usually here between a week and two weeks and we make them work quite hard. But of course there are days when they are less busy and can enjoy the sun!”