Fan-favourite Death in Paradise star Ginny Holder, known for her role as Sergeant Darlene Curtis, has officially left the BBC crime drama.
The news was announced last night via the show’s official Instagram account with a post that celebrated her time on the series with a video montage.
The video was captioned: “Sadly, we’re saying goodbye to Darlene this series. Ginny Holder has been a much-loved cast member, and we’re hugely grateful to her for bringing her talent, personality and energy to Officer Darlene Curtis.
“We wish her all the best – maybe we’ll catch up with her in Saint Marie down the line!”
Broken-hearted fans were quick to flood the comment section with messages expressing their upset and praising Holder’s work on Death in Paradise.
PHOTOGRAPHER:Lou Denim//BBC
“I can’t describe how much Darlene has made such a lovely impact,” said one fan. “Ginny played Darlene so well and it’s very sad to see her go.”
Another wrote: “Darlene was a PERFECT character for the show! She had her ‘network’ but she also showed a lot of common sense and compassion. I’ll miss her! Thanks for your wonderful work, Ginny!”
BBC
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Despite Holder’s abrupt departure, the above post does make it clear that the BBC drama is holding the door open for her, so this may not be the last fans have seen of Darlene.
In fact, while Holder’s exit has been announced ahead of season 15’s debut, it is still unclear whether or not she will appear at all in the new season for an official on-screen farewell.
Holder’s absence does, however, leave a vacancy in Saint Marie’s police department, which is set to be filled by the new Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, played by Catherine Garton.
As per the synopsis, “Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) and Officer Sebastian Rose (Shaquille Ali-Yebuah) [will] help new recruit Sergeant Mattie Fletcher settle into the fold, which might be easier said than done as shadows from her past begin to reveal themselves”.
Philippe Virapin//BBC
Elsewhere, “as DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) continues to adjust to life in Saint Marie, he and the police team must face a myriad of baffling cases.
“Whilst attempting to connect with his recently discovered half-brother Solomon (Daniel Ward), Mervin’s newfound familial happiness soon turns to frustration as he discovers the pair are not quite as similar as he hoped they might be.”
Death in Paradise season 15 airs on Friday 30 January on BBC One. Death in Paradise and its spin-offs Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise are all available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
Read more Death in Paradise news on our dedicated homepage
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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. Â For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. Â 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.
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