DEATH In Paradise star Don Warrington has made his official return to the hit show following a two year absence.
The seasoned actor will reprise his role as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson when the long-running BBC drama, filmed on location in Guadeloupe, airs its sixteenth series in 2027.
And a new wrap photo from the show’s exotic set captures Warrington, 75, surrounded by cast and crew members while celebrating the final day of filming.
Warrington, who found fame as pragmatic student Phillip Smith in cult ’70s sitcom Rising Damp, starred in 77 episodes of Death In Paradise from its original launch in 2011.
But his 14-year tenure came to an end during the show’s fourteenth season, with Patterson bidding farewell to the island and flying to the United Kingdom for a reunion with his daughter.
The departure sparked a furious reaction from dismayed fans – despite Patterson returning for infrequent cameos in later seasons of the show.
Warrington has since assured viewers that his permanent return to the cast was a scripting decision, rather than a response to the outpouring of condemnation that followed his exit.
He told The I : “That was just the storyline, nothing more.
“The producers thought it would be interesting to have Selwyn reach some kind of crisis, and then, after dealing with it, return. There was no Machiavellian intent.”
He added: “It was certainly very nice to know that my character had penetrated into people’s consciousness to that extent, and that they liked him.
“It is rather nice to be liked.”
Set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, follows the exploits of visiting British detectives and their attempts to solve a variety of mysterious crimes.
before leaving in 2014, prompting producers to build the show around a new detective.
, , andhave since taken lead roles on the show, with current star drafted in as DI Mervin Wilson in 2024.
Warrington subsequently praised show bosses for their casting of Gilet, the show’s first black leading man, during an interview with Radio Times.
“Everyone realised the world had changed so we had to change with it,” he said. “And it has given the series a richness culturally.
“What we are trying to do here is present people of colour in a way that is unclichéd – they are simply people getting on with the job and in that sense their colour is irrelevant.”
