Death in Paradise 'signs up' EastEnders star

Death in Paradise season 12 cast
Death in Paradise has reportedly hired an EastEnders star to join the next season. (Image credit: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Denis Guyenon)

Death in Paradise could see a familiar face joining the line-up, as soap star Patsy Kensit has been reportedly spotted filming scenes for this year's festive special.

The Sun says the EastEnders actress  "spent two weeks filming for the BBC One detective favorite in Guadeloupe", and there's been some minor details revealed about the character she's playing.

Patsy recently played Emma Harding in EastEnders but is seemingly swapping Albert Square for Saint Marie as she makes her Death in Paradise debut as a "posh" character.

According to the site, an onlooker revealed that: "Patsy will play a posh totty in the drama and was in her element as she filmed in the Caribbean."

Patsy has been involved in a huge EastEnders story recently, as she played the estranged mother of Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold), who is currently battling cancer and is involved in a devastating exit storyline where she will ultimately die of the disease

In recent emotional scenes, Emma left Lola again, departing on Wednesday, March 30 after learning that her daughter only had six months to live. Unable to cope, she decided that she wasn't strong enough to stick around and told Lola that she was moving to the US for work, leaving Lola heartbroken.

Patsy confirmed her exit on social media, sharing some photos in an airport, where she thanked the soap for having her. She wrote: "Cannot thank my amazing cast members at the simply awesome experience I’ve had working on @bbceastenders for being so kind and loving to me. Big thank you to the BBC the producers writers crew and the EE family."

We will have to wait and see if Patsy Kensit does show up in Saint Marie alongside all our favourites when Death in Paradise season 13 hits our screens.

Meanwhile, Ralf Little thanked fans for sending him some "British staples" in an Instagram update as he films the new series. He was handed a letter and a bag containing some goodies, and decided to react in "real-time".

Death in Paradise returns for a Christmas special; while Death in Paradise season 13 will likely begin in January 2024.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress