Everything you need to know about Death in Paradise new recruit Ruby Patterson

Death in Paradise - Ruby
(Image credit: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Denis Gu)

Ruby will be seen for the first time in Thursday's episode...

Death in Paradise gets a new character this week when Shyko Amos joins the cast as Officer Ruby Patterson, helping to fill the gap left by the departure of Danny John-Jules as Dwayne.

And DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon), DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert) and JP (Tobi Bakare) better watch out because she’s the Commissioner’s niece!

Death in Paradise star Don Warrington as the Commissioner

The Commissioner has a soft spot for his niece!

Commissioner Selwyn is rather indulgent towards his niece and Shyko reveals that this is Ruby’s first job!

“She is the rookie police officer and this is her first real job. Before now she’s just been having a good time, she’s really an island girl, she knows the island and spends her weekends partying on the beach with jobs in between.

“Selwyn wants her to grow up a bit so he gets her the job in the Honore police team. Throughout the episodes Ruby goes on a journey from rookie to the rookie who doesn’t really quite know if this is going to work, but still thinking that they could make this work.”

It looks like Ruby can get away with murder (not literally of course, as Jack would catch her).

“Ruby has a pretty long rope, particularly when she first joins, because everyone’s aware of who she is but she’s such a whirlwind they need to tighten the rope.”

Danny John-Jules has left Death in Paradise as Officer Dwayne Myers

Ruby fills the gap left by the departure of Officer Dwayne Myers

Shyko, who enjoyed a role in A Very English Scandal, is thrilled to have joined Death in Paradise and her character is expected to add some comedy to the show, just as Danny John-Jules did as Dwayne.

“It has been a dream to get this job and it has been a dream working on it,” says Shyko. “I’m just so excited to be on a show that is so popular and so loved.”

Shyko reveals that one of her favourite cases in this series of Death in Paradise revolves around a radio station.

“It’s cool because music is very much part of that Caribbean feel, flavour and vibe, and it’s an episode where we get to see a lot of Ruby’s personality. Episode five and six are really juicy episodes, they’re so different for Death in Paradise - a bit darker and more action-packed.”

She adds that we can expect Ruby to be quite a straight talking character. “The first thing that appealed was her character, I loved the idea of being able to play a woman who ‘says it as she sees it’, she’s proud of coming from Saint Marie and she’s her own quirky person.”

Death in Paradise continues on BBC1.

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!