Ben Miller finally made his long-awaited return to Death in Paradise, six years after his character DI Richard Poole was killed off the show.
MORE: Joséphine Jobert on her Death in Paradise future, the challenges on set and her favourite detective
He appeared in Friday night's episode alongside Camille Bordey, played by actress Sara Martins, in what viewers have hailed the "best episode ever."
In the second half of the two-part storyline marking the drama's tenth anniversary, Camille returned to the island to visit her mother Catherine who had sadly been attacked and left hospitalised.
WATCH: Did you watch the episode?
And it seemed being back on Saint Marie after five years away brought up some old memories for the former sergeant. As she took to the island's sandy beaches to reflect on her time away, the camera panned round to show the long-dead inspector sitting next to her.
However, it was soon revealed that Richard wasn't back from the dead - but just a figment of Camille's imagination. As he shared with her some words of wisdom, Camille turned to face him only to find he was gone.
MORE: When is Ralf Little planning to leave Death in Paradise?
MORE: Death in Paradise's most shocking cast changes over the years
MORE: Did you spot this Friends star in Death in Paradise?
The bittersweet reunion between the duo was praised by fans of the show who have been eagerly awaiting Ben's return since it was first teased back in December. Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: "Marvellous episode of #DeathinParadise! And seeing @ActualBenMiller and @Iam_SaraMartins back together brought tears to my eyes - bravo, and thanks for ten brilliant years!"
© Photo: BBCCamille was joined by her old boss Richard in a bittersweet moment
Another added: "These past two episodes have been the best episodes ever from over the past ten years. Congratulations to the cast and crew for creating something so incredible! One of the best TV Shows around #DeathInParadise". A third fan wrote: "That episode was AMAZING. I'm literally on my way to BBC iPlayer to rewatch it 50 more times".
Ben, who fans will have seen more recently in Netflix's Bridgerton, had remained tight-lipped about his character's return to the beloved BBC series but did take to Instagram hours before the episode with a fun behind-the-scenes snap. Showing him back in his specially-adapted backless shirts for the show, he wrote: "Hello old friend...T-minus 9 hours until @DeathInParadiseOfficial".
© Photo: InstagramBen took to Instagram to share this snap ahead of his comeback
In the run-up to the episode's broadcast, he also relished in the many theories that had been circulating from fans. Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he said: "We're very lucky to have a great number of old fans of Death in Paradise and there's been a lot of speculation [from them]. The one I liked was that I'm coming back as a zombie!"
He continued: "No one was more surprised than me when a script-writer [told me]. It's very cleverly done, I have to say, it's beautifully done."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
