Death in Paradise commended for taking ‘giant steps’ in casting decisions

EntertainmentLifestyle
21 Jan 2026 • 12:16 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Don Warrington, who portrays Commissioner Selwyn Patterson in Death in Paradise, has commended the BBC detective series for featuring two Black lead stars.
  • Warrington stated that the programme has “taken giant steps in giving a different picture of the world” and that television is “behind the times” in reflecting real-world diversity.
  • He will return for the fifteenth series, alongside Don Gilet, who reprises his role as Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson, the first Black lead detective in the show's history.
  • The new series will see DI Wilson adjusting to life in Saint Marie and reconnecting with his half-brother, while Commissioner Patterson aims to regain the island's trust after his recent absence.
  • Death in Paradise is scheduled to return to BBC One on Friday, 30 January.

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