Ex EastEnders legend lands Death in Paradise spin-off part

Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman, Sally Bretton as Martha Lloyd, Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams, Dylan Llewellyn as PC Kelby Hartford and Felicity Montagu as office support Margo Martins, in Death in Paradise spin-off series Beyond Paradise

(Image credit: Todd Anthony)

Former EastEnders favorite Davood Ghadami is among a string of guest stars who've been announced for Beyond Paradise, the Death in Paradise spin-off.

Davood, who played Walford's Kush Kazemi, will be joining Kris Marshall in the eagerly anticipated show, which sees Kris resurrect his Death in Paradise character, DCI Humphrey Goodman. Humphrey is now enjoying a new life in Devon with his fiancée Martha Lloyd (played by Not Going Out’s Sally Bretton).

After leaving EastEnders, Davood, who took part in 2017's Strictly, landed a role as ambitious clinical lead Eli Ebrahimi in Holby City. It’s not yet been revealed who he will be playing in Beyond Paradise.

Kush Kazemi sits on a bench in EastEnders — Davood as Kush in EastEnders (Image credit: BBC)

One guest star we do know a bit more about is Jamie Bamber. The Law & Order UK star is billed as "a face from Martha’s past who looks like he's here to stay".

Hi-di-Hi legend Ruth Madoc will also pop up in Beyond Paradise. The other guest stars announced are: Phil Daniels (Rock & Chips), Jade Harrison (The Stranger), Monsterrat Lombard (Rare Beast), Chris Jenks (Sex Education), Yasmine Akram (Bad Sisters), Rufus Jones (Home), Samantha Spiro (Babs), Dan Mersh (The Death of Stalin), David Reed (Endeavour), Ella Kenion (The Green Green Grass), John Macneill (His Dark Materials), Jaye Jacobs (Holby City), John Hollingworth (1917), Ingrid Oliver (The Hustle), Peter De Jersey (Broadchurch), Edward Rowe (Enys Men), Kerry Howard (Him & Her), Pooky Quesnel (Ralph & Katie), Alan Williams (Chernobyl), Nina Singh (The Lazarus Project), Annette Badland (Bergerac), Hannah Traylen (Boiling Point) andLily Frazer (Ladhood).

They will join the key cast: Kris Marshall (DI Humphrey Goodman), Sally Bretton (Martha Lloyd), Zahra Ahmadi (DS Esther Williams), Dylan Llewellyn (PC Kelby Hartford), Felicity Montagu (office support Margo Martins) and Barbara Flynn (Anne Lloyd).

After swapping EastEnders for Holby, Davood told us: "I'm very excited. I’ve yet to get my head around the fact I’m in Holby! Just as the EastEnders’ door was closing, this door was opening. I feel very lucky to get my teeth into Eli so soon after saying goodbye to Kush.”

Now a new door has opened for him in Beyond Paradise. Beyond Paradise will begin on BBC One on Friday 24 February and BritBox in the US.

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!