Ralf Little talks about the first feature-length Death in Paradise Christmas special

For actor Ralf Little and the cast of long-running TV drama Death In Paradise, it is a term more closely associated with rum punch, shady terraces and, as the show’s name might suggest, a spot of murder.

Filmed on the French Caribbean island of Guadalupe, 150 miles off the west coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, it’s a location viewers of the show will probably know better as the island of Saint Marie. Renowned for its volcanic landscapes, tropical climate and sun-drenched shores, this festive season the show is set to serve up a truly alternative celebration direct from paradise.

Set to arrive on BBC One in line with the show’s 10th anniversary celebrations, Death In Paradise’s first feature-length Christmas special will see Ralf Little (The Royle Family/Two Pints of Lager) return as Detective Inspector Neville Parker, alongside Josephine Jobert as Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell, Tahj Miles as Trainee Officer Marlon Pryce, Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson and Elizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey.

However, the nostalgia does not end there, as the 90-minute special will also mark the return of fan favourite and Strictly Come Dancing star Danny John-Jules as Officer Dwayne Myers, who left the show in 2018.

“It’s another Death In Paradise classic, really,” says Little, 41, of the special. “It’s a great mystery. Someone is found inexplicably dead and we have to get to the bottom of it. But there’s a couple of added dimensions because of it being 90 minutes.”

Paired with the cliff-hanger that left audiences wondering whether Neville managed to finally declare his feelings for Florence before she jetted off for Christmas, fans of the show will be hoping the special answers as many questions as it creates.

Describing the latest instalment as having “a bit more time for character development and interplay”, Little says far more time is given to the aftermath of events and the “consequences” of the characters’ actions.

“You usually say ‘this is the murderer, arrest the murderer’ and then generally the episode is over. “We might have a scene in Catherine’s bar but generally the episode finishes,” says Little.

“Here you actually get to see things play out, to see how the effects of the murder and the arrest and so forth play out with the characters that have been involved, so that was quite a lovely thing to to go through.”

A series that sees cast members live on location for much of filming, the arrival of Covid-19 has meant the chilly UK is but a distant memory for Little.

Set to return to Devon this Christmas for the first time in nearly 18 months, he already has his jumpers at the ready.

“It’s going to be nice but I am going to be cold for the first time since July 2020 – which was when I arrived here,” says the actor with a laugh.

“I haven’t been back to the UK since. So I’m going to be cold, but not too miserable, because I’ll spend it with my mum and have a lovely Christmas dinner.”

Describing how two lengthy stints on the island were broken up with a trip to see his partner in Florida, the actor acknowledges there could be far worse places to find yourself mid-pandemic.

“I’ve been here solidly for six months and then six months. It’s been a while,” says Little.

“But I mean, I love it all. I love all the adventure. I’ll try scuba diving, snorkelling, the little gyrocopters that you go on to the other side of the island, you can go hiking – there’s a plane wreck from 30 odd years ago in the hills, you can hike up to that or up to the volcano. I just absolutely love it.”

The Death in Paradise Christmas special 2021 will be shown on BBC1 on Boxing Day at 7.30pm