Death in Paradise star Ralf Little has shared an exciting update on the upcoming series of the popular BBC detective drama.
Appearing in a live Instagram Q&A alongside his co-star Tahj Miles, the actor revealed that the cast have already filmed the upcoming feature-length Christmas special, which will air in December this year.
Answering a question from a fan who asked how many episodes they had filmed for the new series, Ralf responded: "Just one, just the Christmas special. We wouldn't be able to tell you what happens in the series, obviously, and I mean we don't really know, do we?
"Our guess is as good as yours but we are excited for it."
Fans were quick to express their excitement for the upcoming season in the comments section, with one person writing: "Literally cannot wait for the new series!!!" while another added: "I love this program so much. I can't wait to see it."
The series is set to return for seasons 13 and 14, as well as two feature-length Christmas special episodes.
Filming for the upcoming series began earlier this month, with the show's official Instagram account sharing a snap of a clapperboard underwater alongside the caption: "We're back in Guadeloupe with a splash! Today was our first day of filming series 13 of #DeathInParadise!"
Former star Josephine Jobert, who played DS Florence Cassell from 2015 until her exit in 2022, was quick to comment on the post, sparking hope for fans that she might return.
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Responding to the several flame emojis she commented on the post, fans pleaded with the actress to return. One person wrote: "@josephinejobert_official is this a sign that you'll be back?" while another added: "@josephinejobert_official PLEASE JUST COME BACK."
Josephine has returned to the show on a couple of occasions and previously opened up about her decision to reprise her role. She said: "I already left in series eight, I thought it would be for good, honestly, I thought, 'I'm done.' Then they asked me back for series ten as I was like, 'Hmmm I don’t know, okay I'm going to do it.' But I knew it wouldn't be forever, I knew it. How long, I didn't know. I had an idea but I wasn't sure."
The 38-year-old also opened up about potentially appearing in the new spin-off Beyond Paradise, explaining: "It's a possibility that we discussed with the producer some time ago. So we'll see if that will happen. But I would love to anyway. It would be a very nice wink."
As for the upcoming season, details on the plot have been kept firmly under wraps. However, executive producer Tim Key did reveal that the show will return with its 100th episode.
"We've got an amazing and joyful Christmas special in store, and then series 13 begins with our 100th episode, so we've got plenty of surprises ready to celebrate that milestone," he said in a statement about the show's renewal. "We've got huge plans for the future and can't wait to get going again."
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