Death in Paradise tragedies – heartbreaking death aged 37 to fatal fall from cliff
Several members of the Death in Paradise cast have dealt with devastating tragedies throughout their lives.
Death in Paradise
Several members of the Death in Paradise cast have experienced tragedies in their lives.
(Image: BBC)
Death in Paradise has been a staple on British TV since its debut in 2011. The hit BBC series recently returned for its 15th season at the end of January, once again drawing millions of viewers to follow Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) as he solves crimes on the fictional island of Saint Marie.
Over the years, the show has seen five lead detectives and countless supporting cast members become fan favourites. But, as with any long-running series, not all those associated with the show have had smooth sailing behind the scenes. Here, we delve into the tragedies that have affected both the actors and crew who have worked on Death in Paradise.
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Tragic death aged 37
At the beginning of the year, it was announced that BBC Commissioning Editor Danielle Scott-Haughton had unexpectedly died in her sleep aged 37. In a heartbreaking tribute to Danielle, the official Death in Paradise Instagram account issued a statement: “We were devastated to learn of the passing of our friend and colleague Danielle Scott-Haughton.
“Dani was the BBC Commissioning Editor for Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise and was a passionate champion of both shows, as well as every programme she worked on. It is impossible to put into words the energy and joy she brought with her each time she visited our shoots, or the wonderful collaboration of working with her.
Tragic death aged 37
“Her enthusiasm, positivity, and determination not only to make every project as good as it could be, but also to take care of the people and world around her, was infection and inspiring. We will all miss her enormously. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this difficult and very sad time,” the statement concluded.
The show paid tribute to Danielle at the end of the first episode of series 15, which aired on January 30. Danielle also worked behind-the-scenes on EastEnders and Agatha Christie adaptations.
(Image: d)
Fatal cliff fall
When Ralf Little was just nine-years-old, his teenage sister Ceri fell 150ft to her death from a cliff during a family holiday to Cornwall. Opening up about his grief, the actor said: “It was devastating. It’s incredibly difficult to recover from something like that, particularly as parents.
“Out of everyone in the family I was the one that was affected least because I was nine years old. Kids are quite resilient anyway, but I just had stuff to get on with, all these activities. It could have gone either way. I could have gone to school and just had this massive meltdown, rebelling, and being angry. I know now I was absolutely filled with rage.”
Fatal cliff fall
Ralf, 46, who played Neville Parker on Death in Paradise from 2020 to 2024, added: “But I channelled that rage into getting all of life and giving it a kicking. So, my grades went up. My achieving excellence at school just like, I was on every team; I was winning prizes.”
In an interview on BBC Radio 4, Ralf admitted his other sister, Rowena, was “quite lost” for several years because she had no guidance after Ceri’s death. He explained: “I think she struggled a lot more than I did. My parents struggled about 10 years and split up about 10 years later. But I won’t blame them for that. Grief is such a difficult thing. People process it differently.”
Ben Miller
Ben Miller, who played the very first detective on Death in Paradise, has previously opened up about his struggle with an ‘unmanageable and unpredictable’ health condition. In an interview with the Express, the 60-year-old said: “I did struggle a lot with OCD, particularly in my twenties, and I’m very lucky in that it’s all very manageable now. But there were times where it was unmanageable.”
Recounting his symptoms, he added: “I was very OCD about doorways and doors. For me, it was a way of mitigating and controlling my anxieties. I thought if I touched an object a certain number of times, then bad things won’t happen. Of course it doesn’t work – I constantly had to amplify my behaviours to try and reduce my anxiety.”
(Image: BBC / Red Planet / Denis Guyenon)
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Ben admitted he hit “crisis point” and decided to seek professional help. In 2021, Ben began playing the role of Professor Jasper Tempest – criminology genius who battles obsessive-compulsive disorder – in ITV’s Professor T. Opening up about the role on This Morning in 2022, he said: “I’ve talked about this from the very beginning. I also have OCD, so when I came across this part, it was a very exciting moment for me to play this character.
“For me, it’s very emotional to play this character because he’s completely unashamed. I was always very ashamed of my OCD, that’s one of the reasons why I got the treatment, [Professor T] doesn’t really care. He makes everyone else go along with every single tiny detail of his regime.”
Death during filming
In 2017, Larrington Walker died at the age of 70. He was in the Caribbean filming Death in Paradise at the time of his passing. The actor played Samuel Palmer in the show and appeared on other programmes including Taboo, Inspector Morse and The Bill.
His agent, Femi Oguns, shared: “It’s with a very heavy heart that I announce the angels have been called to bring my friend and client Sir Larrington Walker home. I know this great man has brought so much to the world and this will come as a great shock to those who know him. I feel so empty right now.
“My heart is with the family and friends. Thank you for all the great conversations filled with love guidance, wisdom and laughter. My life will never be the same without you great sir as I’m sure with many others.” He described representing Larrington as the “greatest honour”, adding: “I will forever love you dearly. God bless you and the family.”
Death in Paradise s14
Don Warrington has played Commissioner Selwyn Patterson since 2011. But decades before he landed the role, Don faced a personal loss. The actor was just six-years-old when his father Basil Kydd died at the age of 48, leaving Don and his mother, Shirley, to rebuild their lives.
Reflecting on his father’s influence, Don made a heartbreaking confession. “My father is a shadow. He died when I was six; when I think of him, I just see a shape,” he told The Guardian. “He was a myth to me. I know stuff about his life and death, but I can’t see a full person. When I had children myself, it meant I had to make up what being a father was.”
(Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
Don Warrington
Having worked at a metal factory to save enough money, Shirley, Don, and his siblings traveled to England by ship in a journey that took three weeks. Confronting life in Britain wasn’t straightforward, however, as the as the actor recalled being targeted at school. He said: “Occasionally I got called rude names, but I was good at defending myself.
“The kids were kinder than the teachers: I’m left-handed, which schools tried to discourage in those days, and I remember my English teacher saying, ‘Did you learn to write up a tree?'” At just 12-years-old, Don’s mother left the UK for America to pursue a nursing career, leaving him and his siblings in the care of his Aunt Lena and forcing him to grow up quickly.
