Kelvin Fletcher tells all about his guest role in Death In Paradise, and how he's missed dancing during lockdown...
Emmerdale legend Kelvin Fletcher couldn't believe his luck when he was offered a role in Death In Paradise season 10 - he even thought his agent might be joking!
The Strictly champion appears in the third episode as Gavin, whose wife Cherry (Laura Aikman) is found dead in their luxury Caribbean villa. Gavin falls under suspicion as a potential killer, but will the Honoré Police find any skeletons in his closet?
We chatted to Kelvin Fletcher, 36, to find out more about his Death in Paradise part...
What can you tell us about Gavin in Death in Paradise?
Kelvin Fletcher: "I think on the surface it looks like he's got the perfect life, and I suppose the perfect wife as well. They seem very happy. They've got a beautiful mansion in the Caribbean, and they've resided there since winning the lottery. They've invited their friends over to join them, and you can see clues that things aren't all what they seem..."
Is it fun playing the ambiguity of a character who may or may not be a murderer?
KF: "Yeah - obviously there's a strict format with Death In Paradise, that light-hearted murder mystery format. It was my first time doing that and luckily the director, Chris, was excellent. You don't want to give too much away, but when there's not a clue to give, you're still required to give an inkling of something! You're almost teasing the audience and sending them down a one-way street. It was quite fun to play that as an actor - and obviously in the basking heat of the Caribbean sunshine!"
Yes, that must make a job like this pretty enticing?
KF: "I remember my agent calling me and saying, 'do you fancy a couple of weeks in the Caribbean?' And I was like, 'the Caribbean Caribbean? Not, like, Blackpool, or the north east?'. Filming in the Caribbean is an absolute gift and a dream job - not just because of the locality of the place, but the cast and the crew I was working with. You're joining such a prestigious, well-liked show - a show that I myself had watched and enjoyed for many years. It's just the most hard-working and dedicated team I've seen - I was in awe of them really. The sunshine and the Caribbean location were the icing on the cake!"
Did you get many opportunities to go sightseeing?
KF: "We did quite a bit, yeah! On our day off, Faye [McKeever], Laura and Jason [Manford] and I went hiking up a volcano. We were told it was dormant and when we were halfway up another walker told us it was active. So that changed the dynamic of the walk a little - suddenly we got a bit quicker!"
It's just over a year since you won Strictly - do you still get to dance much?
KF: "There's not really been an opportunity! It was two or three weeks after we finished the tour when lockdown came, so my aspirations of showing off my new moves at various weddings and events throughout the summer never got used! I was picturing, if an auntie or a grandma asks, ‘would you like to do a waltz’, then I could. But I never got the chance! So I’m still waiting. I hope it’s like riding a bike, so once we get the opportunity again, hopefully I’ll be able to rediscover the moves."
Kelvin Fletcher guest stars in Death In Paradise on BBC1 at 9pm on Thursday 21 January.
