The BBC has confirmed to Digital Spy that Return to Paradise’s Andrea Demetriades will not be reprising the role of Daisy Dixon for season three of the Death in Paradise spinoff.
Demetriades’ exit comes after Daisy’s bungled wedding to Glenn Strong (Tai Hara) in the season two finale. The pair failed to wed, in part due to the interference of Glenn’s ex-fiancée DS Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson), which was the catalyst for their break-up.
Glenn may have been the one declaring that he was leaving Dolphin Cove at the end of season two. However, Hara is set to make his return as Glenn for the brand new season, while Daisy is the one who is absent.
BBC
Speaking of Demetriades’ exit, Colin actor Lloyd Griffith told Digital Spy exclusively: “Obviously at the end of season two we lose a player, so to speak, but then in season three, there are more chess pieces and actually more is uncovered.”
Daisy’s departure puts an end to the Mack, Glenn and Daisy love triangle, paving way for a new romantic complication involving new pathologist Leo Drake (Jacob Collins-Levy) as the synopsis reveals: “DS Mackenzie Clarke is back, fresh from having wrecked another of Glenn’s weddings and determined never to follow her heart again.
“But ignoring her heart won’t be easy. The arrival of her force-of-nature mother Jillian (Kerry Armstrong) puts Mack’s mettle to the ultimate test and there’s something undeniable about the raffish charm of the new pathologist Leo. And as for Glenn, who has gone away to ‘find himself’, well that’s a whole other puzzle for Mack to try and solve.”
“[Things have] changed in season three,” Griffith told Digital Spy. “Season one was an introduction to the characters. Season two, we’re kind of getting used to the characters and there’s familiarity.”
The star then touched on how the cast rejig has shaped the new “dynamic” and how his character fits into the equation.
“Colin is just a bit more aware of the dynamic,” said Griffith. “Then also, with the introduction of a mother and a new love interest… all the dynamics do change a little bit, even with Colin and Glenn.”
Despite all the changes, the synopsis does tease the same level of twisty cases that are beloved by the fandom, stating: “While Dolphin Cove may still look like paradise, it continues to serve up a steady stream of baffling murder mysteries – from the artist stabbed in full view of the public, to the wildlife worker dead in a locked cassowary cage. Mack will solve it all with her usual brilliance, and the off-beat help of her loyal team.”
BBC
Catherine McClements will return as Senior Sergeant Philomena Strong, alongside Aaron McGrath as PC Felix Wilkinson and Celia Ireland as Reggie Rocco.
Joining as guest stars for season three are Ngali Shaw, Tina Bursill, Mark Lee, Matt Day, Zindzi Okenyo, Zöe Ventoura, Robert Mammone and Anthony Hayes.
Return to Paradise season 3 airs Friday 6 November on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
Read more Beyond Paradise news on our dedicated homepage.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of the world of K-pop, is here. Buy K-Pop in newsagents or online.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.