Death in Paradise has just ONE original character left (not including Harry the lizard who's back!)

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Death in Paradise 2020
(Image credit: BBC/Red Planet/Denis Guyenon)

The Commissioner has been there since day one!

Death in Paradise has just one original character left from the show’s very first episode in 2011 - yep, Commissioner Selwyn Patterson!

The only other original “character” that is still in the show is Harry the Lizard, who made a welcome return to the BBC1 hit last night.

Indeed, some fans were joking that with so many cast changes on Death in Paradise Harry could soon find himself as the only original left!

MORE: Nina Wadia: I've slightly fallen in love with The Commissioner!

The very first episode back in 2011 saw Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole, who was called over from London to Saint Marie by the Commissioner to investigate the death of British cop Charlie Hulme (played by The Full Monty’s Hugo Speer).

Making up his team were Sara Matins as DS Camille Bordey, Danny John-Jules as Officer Dwayne Myers, Gary Carr as Officer Fidel Best and Lenora Crichlow as Lily Thomson (spoiler: she was only in the first episode!).

Death in Paradise The Commissioner

He's been there from the very start... Don Warrington as The Commissioner (Image credit: BBC/Red Planet/Philip Volkers)

What happened to the original Death in Paradise team?

Ben Miller in Death in Paradise

Ben Miller: 'I thought this series was a wind-up' (Image credit: BBC/Red Planet)

So, Ben Miller’s DI Richard Poole met a bloody end in the first episode of series three in 2014. Gary Carr left later during series three as Fidel, while Sarah Matins departed as Camille in 2015 during series four. Finally, Danny John-Jules left during series seven in 2018.

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

Danny was much loved as Dwayne (Image credit: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Denis Gu)

There’s also of course been a huge number of other cast changes, with Kris Marshall, who took over from Ben Miller, departing as DI Humphrey Goodman in 2017.

Ardal O’Hanlon is now the show’s leading man as DI Jack Mooney, but he will be replaced later this series by Ralf Little.

Death in Paradise 2020 Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker

Ralf Little is joining the show as the new leading man (Image credit: BBC/Red Planet)

Elizabeth Bourgine has been in the show since the first series as Catherine Bordey, but Catherine wasn’t in the first episode - she made her debut in episode two.

The one constant, then, has been Don Warrington as the gruff but loveable commissioner! And Harry of course!

Death in Paradise continues on BBC1.

David Hollingsworth
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!