The cast of Death in Paradise has teased the "extremely disruptive" plot twist set to feature in the upcoming Christmas special.
Speaking to HELLO! and other press in a special Q&A, the leading stars of the BBC drama, Ralf Little, Élizabeth Bourgine and Don Warrington, opened up about the festive episode, in particular the shocking moment Ralf's character DI Neville Parker welcomes his mother to the island.
The detective's mum, Melanie, will be played by actress Doon Mackichan (Smack the Pony, Two Doors Down) but her arrival to Saint Marie doesn't exactly fill Neville with festive cheer.
"Neville's mum arrives on the island, it's kind of like a hurricane actually. She's extremely disruptive," admitted Ralf. "Neville was mollycoddled a little bit and wrapped in cotton wool as a kid, so you kind of expect her to be perhaps a little overbearing or overprotective."
The Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Christmas actor continued: "But the thinking we discussed with Doon was that perhaps that was a necessity when he was a kid because of all of his allergies and difficulties. They're not fake, he's not a hypochondriac, they're very real.
"But that was when he was a kid, and I think Doon's character Melanie is like, 'Come on son, you're not a kid anymore. You've come out here so live your life'. So, she's arrived and she is gregarious and fun-loving and a character and loud and kind of the antithesis to what he is, which is a bit of a surprise, so she's extremely disruptive to his life in many ways. But it's a lot of fun."
Élizabeth's character, Catherine Bourgine, takes a liking to Melanie: "Catherine is welcoming to Melanie, who is very anxious at the beginning because of her son, once she understands that Neville will get over it, they just think about having fun, the both of them."
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Meanwhile, Death in Paradise veteran, Don Warrington, shared with HELLO! and other reporters how much he enjoyed filming the festive episode: "I remember it was fun, there was a lot of laughter. It was joyous. It's Christmas!"
Along with Doon, the Christmas episode of the long-running BBC show will welcome many more guest stars. Unforgotten actress, Bronagh Waugh, is another familiar face joining the cast.
After the mysterious death of an entrepreneur occurs on the island, Bronaugh appears as the victim's digital marketing guru Debbie. Also starring are: Patsy Kensit (EastEnders), Youssef Kerkour (House of Gucci), Geoff Bell (The Curse), Amelia Clarkson (The Last Kingdom), Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone) and Leila Khan (Heartstopper).
The Christmas special will be followed by a brand new series in 2024, which promises to deliver a "perfect blend of exotic escapism, gripping whodunnits and deeply satisfying plot twists".
The Death in Paradise Christmas special will air on Boxing Day on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.