BBC Death in Paradise’s Ralf Little has famous relative fans ‘didn’t know’ about
Death in Paradise star Ralf Little was elated when he discovered his familial roots to the Chirk football club.
Ralf Little quickly became a fan-favourite during his time on Death in Paradise as Detective Inspector Neville Parker. Ahead of his exit from the sun-soaked murder mystery in 2024, the actor featured on the star-studded BBC genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are?
There, he followed his ancestors’ footsteps and learned about his grandfather Arthur’s crucial role in the Second World War. However, the 45-year-old came across the surprising discovery that his great-grandfather Albert Lockley was a dearly remembered player of Wales’ Chirk AAA football club. Little learned that Albert played and scored a goal in Chirk’s winning Wales and Border’s 1894 Challenge Cup. During the programme, the Bury-born actor admitted: “Yes, that has absolutely made my day.”
Ralf Little starred on Who Do You Think You Are? (Image: BBC)
“It’s so funny, this is more than 100 years ago, and I’m genuinely delighted to read about my great-granddad winning this cup.”
Speaking to sports historian Martin Johns, who showed him a newspaper cutting, Little revealed that he was himself a semi-professional footballer in his twenties.
He was especially delighted when Martin showed him the original trophy his great-grandfather won.
Albert went on to play for the Welsh football team. However, a newspaper article from 1904 says he “foreswor[e] football through being converted” to the Welsh religious revival.
Little joked: “He gave up football for religion? I can’t begin to tell you, as an atheist, how upsetting that is to me.”
The religious revival of 1904 spread across Wales and saw thousands of people become fervent Christians and it was so intense that many burned their football clothes and renounced the sport.
However, the revival eventually died out by 1905, and a newspaper cutting from that year reports on Albert winning a penalty competition, so he likely returned to the sport later.
During the episode, Ralf reflected on the range of ancestors he uncovered: “A war hero, an international footballer and one of the founders of Manchester… I think what connects them all is a sense of sacrifice and responsibility.”
