Death in Paradise fans predict Mervin Wilson ‘replacement’ as first female detective
Death in Paradise has seen many detectives come and go over the years.
Death in Paradise fans have predicted a huge change for the BBC series, and many believe the next detective could be a female.
Don Gilet currently plays the show’s lead detective, Mervin Wilson, after he replaced Ralf Little, who played Detective Neville Parker, the show’s longest-serving detective.
And while Don has shared no plans of leaving the series anytime soon, fans have been sharing their thoughts on who could play the next detective, as so far, there have been five male DIs – Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon, Ralf Little and now Don.
Taking to Reddit to share their thoughts and theories, one fan asked, “Will the next DI be female?” They went on, “All of the DIs so far have been male, with a wide range of quirks, but we’re bound to get a female one eventually. Detective Inspector Mackenzie Clarke (from Return to Paradise) seems the obvious choice, as she’s so entertainingly weird.
“Remembering that both Will Teague (Series 2 episode 6) and André Morgan (Series 4 episode 1) reappeared under false identities as DIs, will they choose someone else who’s appeared before?”
Fans think Nicola Walker would be a good fit for Death in Paradise (Image: BBC)
Fans seemed to agree that Return to Paradise’s Mackenzie Clarke was a great choice, with one replying, “Mac is a great example of showing how a female DI works. I’d be happy to see a female DI and a male DS.”
Another fan predicted the return of an old character, “High time Camille returned to the island, to do so as DI would just be class.”
While a third added, “It very well could be. Mackenzie Clarke is a good example, it shows that a female lead that’s just as much of a goofball as the other DIs can work and work well. I don’t know if bringing her to Saint Marie is the right move, she fits the aesthetic and vibe of her own show more.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing Olivia Colman as the lead. She’s a big name, but she still does smaller BBC shows from time to time. Ooh! Or Ruth Jones! She recently starred in Run Away on Netflix as a private investigator.”
Anna Samson plays the show’s first lead detective in Return to Paradise (Image: BBC)
Don Gilet plays Mervin Wilson in Death in Paradise (Image: BBC)
Someone else suggested, “Nicola Walker would be great .. especially as it doesn’t look like there will be any more Annika.. and after that Scottish weather she could do with a warm.”
“Imagine a crossover where it was Annika, that would be amazing! The daughter is brilliant too, her and Morgan would be great,” another replied.
Another great suggestion for a new female DI was Tamsin Greig from Friday Night Dinner. One fan said, “Tamsin would be fantastic! She was good in Riot Women (and of course Black Books).”
One more name thrown into the mix is Aisling Bea.
