Published: 12:01 am, 20 January 2026
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.
Returning Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) confronts the impact of his recent period of absence, and after some tough love from old friend Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine), he’s determined to win back the trust of the island. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) and Officer Sebastian Rose (Shaquille Ali-Yebuah) help new recruit Sergeant Mattie Fletcher (Catherine Garton) settle into the fold, which might be easier said than done as shadows from her past begin to reveal themselves.
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Meet the cast
Don Gilet (Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson)
(Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
We’re introduced to a new member of the team in episode one. What can you tell us about Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, played by Catherine Garton?
There’s definitely something of a rebel in Mattie. We haven’t had that rebellious element, really. She’s a bit younger, probably a similar age, give or take, to Officer Seb Rose, but she’s seen a lot more. She’s a sergeant and she’s more experienced and is always on the front foot, whereas Seb is going through his rookie stripes. It’s great seeing how the two of them connect – there’s a nurturing side as well as a rebellious side. She’s a great addition to the team.
Mervin has been on the island for a little while now. Has he mellowed out or is he still winding people up?
Just by his nature and the way he is when it comes to his work and the way that his mind works, there’s always going to be a bit of kickback with the people he deals with. Last year, there was this antagonism between Mervin and the team because they just worked in very different ways, and both had to earn the respect of each other in the way they work.
And let’s not forget, he didn’t want to be on the island, so he was going to be particularly reluctant to work with these people because of the personal issues he was dealing with. But as time has moved on, he’s realised that he needs these people. They are now gelling, they’re working as a team – now it’s cracking the cases that frustrate him, and they become frustrated as a group. You’ll still see him sometimes working at odds with the team, but they know each other now and can allow for that a little more.
Do you have any favourite moments from the new series?
There’s a part where Mervin loses a lot of his clothes and has to find substitute clothing. We’re used to this certain, let’s say, iconic look that he’s developed now, what he likes to wear, and then when we see him wear something else, it becomes amusing from a character perspective because he doesn’t want to wear it. That moment also isn’t jokes for the sake of it too, there’s a reason why you see Mervin in different clothes, as opposed to it simply being a cheap laugh. There are a few moments like that throughout the series which I like, such as Mervin ending up in a swimming pool…
We found out that Mervin has a half-brother, Solomon. What was that like for him to discover?
It was a great emotional cliffhanger because at any moment in that series Mervin could have just said “that’s it, I’ve done my time”, and now he literally can’t go. The one thing he was in pursuit of at the start of this series was family and then to throw that in at the end, that he’s not alone… He’s powerless to resist that and he has to stay now for the next chapter in his family quest, because he thought he had no family. So how can he turn his back on that?
What can you tease about Mervin and Solomon’s relationship this series?
Well, I think phrases like ‘two peas in a pod’, do not apply… They couldn’t be more opposite. There’s Mervin and then there’s this guy who is on the opposite side of the tracks, potentially the opposite side of the law too… There’s just something that Mervin can’t quite put his finger on. He’s having to accept that whatever his notions were about what Solomon could be like, it might not be like that. Daniel Ward plays the character brilliantly.
Shantol Jackson (Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas)
(Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Lou Denim)
How did it feel returning to the island for another year in paradise?
Guadeloupe has become my second home. I’ve become so familiar with the island – when you have friends there, it feels like coming home. I was very excited to return. When Don Gilet started last year, it was so refreshing and I was excited to return to that dynamic with Don and Shaquille. It was great getting to see my guys and to jump back into it.
Now Mervin has been on the island for a year, how would you say his and Naomi’s relationship working together has developed? Would you say they’re closer to being friends?
They’re better colleagues. Naomi has a better understanding of who Mervin is and how he works. They’ve both had to adapt to one another, but Naomi is now someone Mervin would go to for guidance, like with the relationship he had with the Commissioner. He’s very comfortable opening up with Naomi. We saw a bit of that last series with Mervin opening up about his mother, and Naomi being determined to help him solve the case. These attachments and friendships are clearly quite new for him, as someone who grew up in foster care, so it’s quite beautiful to see their relationship develop in this way.
Tell us about some of the cases the team are faced with this year…
There is a sea monster! We see the team divided – the Inspector obviously doesn’t believe it, but Seb does – it really plays into the impossibility of these cases in a very memorable way. Episode six is my favourite episode because of who Naomi teams up with, plus it’s in a new location.
We also have a hilarious group of theatre actors performing a Shakespeare play who were all so funny, we had a great time with them. The play was The Tempest, so we had a beautiful shipwreck set on the beach, which was fantastic.
We see Naomi go on an unexpected adventure with the Commissioner this series – did you enjoy the odd-couple pairing of Naomi and Selwyn teaming up?
Pairing up with Selwyn was one of my favourite moments of this series, it was so much fun. We also get to see a different side to Selwyn out working in the field. For Naomi, it’s like working with a different Inspector and learns so much from him during that time. There’s also the fact the case they’re pursuing is personal to them both, so they connected on both a professional and personal level. We need more pairings of Naomi and Selwyn!
Naomi helps guide new Sergeant, Mattie Fletcher – do you think she sees some of her-self in Mattie?
I love Catherine Garton who plays Mattie, she’s a lovely addition to the team, and I’m sure the fun we had on set will reflect on camera. But I think Mattie is what Naomi would have liked to be – this fearless go-getter, unafraid to take risks.
At the end of last series Mervin discovered he has a half-brother – how does he handle this news, and what are Naomi’s thoughts on the relationship that develops?
Initially, Naomi’s excited – Mervin came to find his family, and although it’s not quite what he expected, it’s still what he set out to discover. Seeing Mervin’s disappointment at struggling to connect to Solomon softened Naomi’s view of the Inspector; she realises he’s a human being and does actually have emotions. It is a beautiful journey they both go on as she helps him find Solomon and connect with him. I’m excited for people to see that journey throughout this series.
Has there been any guest cast you’ve particularly enjoyed working with?
I loved working with Pearl Mackie in the Christmas Special. I’m such a fan of The Diplomat, and I was telling her how obsessed with her I was, and she was telling me how much she loved me – we just full-on fangirled. Tim McMullan, too – he was so naturally funny, and it was such a surprise when we discovered he hadn’t done comedy before!
Shaquille Ali-Yebuah (Officer Sebastian Rose)
(Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
What did you learn from your first series that you took into this?
Stay hydrated, that’s the main thing! Keep them electrolytes going because when that sun is hitting you and you’re filming multiple takes, it really does have an effect. So, stay hydrated and keep that mosquito bug spray close. But to be fair, I wasn’t getting attacked as much this time around. I feel like I’m one of the locals now, so they don’t bother me. They come to me like, “nah, we’re too familiar”. I did get bitten by a Scolopendra though, which is a poisonous kind of centipede, but I survived!
What was it like returning to work with the cast?
There’s a great bond amongst us and the dynamics are so fun, even outside of work, we’re very connected and very close. With our characters on screen, there’s a lot of ideas we come up with amongst ourselves, sometimes a little bit of improv, we bounce off each other really well. It was great fun connecting again with the team.
Did you get to see a lot more of the island this time around?
Last year, I visited everywhere there was to visit, and I think there’s only two places that I didn’t. This year, I visited those two places! When my family visit me, I’ve got a great itinerary for them. The food and people are amazing, there are so many beautiful spots.
This series, we see Officer Seb Rose showing up and being a bit more responsible, more of a responsible and proactive officer. How would you say he’s grown since last series?
Seb has learnt so much from Mervin and his English ways, and he’s also learnt a lot from Naomi and the Commissioner. He’s added everything that he’s learnt to his arsenal going forward. Every time he learns a lesson, he really takes it on board, so he doesn’t make the same mistake again. He’s very determined to be the best and works things out in his own unique way. He doesn’t let his fidgety brain stop him. We also see what everyone thought was a weakness is an advantage for him.
What can you tell us about new recruit, Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, played by Catherine Garton?
Seb and Mattie have a certain understanding and a bit of a big sister, little brother relationship. She’s very confident and knows what she wants. Seb is similar in that respect, so it’s great to see that duo together, that mixture of personalities. They have a lot of fun together.
What was it like to work with Catherine?
As soon as Catherine arrived, Shantol and I just took her in and let her know everything there is to know about how things work, the production, the set. We made her feel at home and made her feel comfortable. After a while it was like she’d been there forever, she fit in so well.
We get to see more of Seb’s family life in an episode. What was that like to explore?
It’s great that we get to explore Seb’s life outside of work because we’ve only seen him at work, and how bubbly and energetic he is, so it’s good to see what his home life is and what his upbringing has been like. We meet his mum and see what their relationship is like. Audiences will also get a better understanding of why he has a fidgety brain, seeing him from this different perspective.
What’s been one of your favourite things about working on Death In Paradise that you wouldn’t have expected?
One thing I didn’t expect was the amount of Death In Paradise fans that travel all around the world just to visit us on set. I’ve met people from Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Spain, America, and they’ve traveled to Guadeloupe, which isn’t easy to get to!
Élizabeth Bourgine (Catherine Bordey)
(Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Lou Denim)
Catherine acts as the voice of the community of Saint Marie – how is she helping the police team win back the trust of the island after Selwyn’s recent departure?
She helps the team to understand that they must do something to regain the islanders’ trust in them as a police force. Throughout the series, there’s a running thread of the people of Saint Marie learning to rely on one another and count on one another, so when Selwyn left, it felt like a betrayal to the people of Saint Marie. Catherine helps the team to understand how the island is feeling, and what they need to do moving forward.
What do you think is the definitive ‘Death in Paradise’ drink to be served at Catherine’s bar?
It has to be a blind cocktail because it depends on her mood and the things she finds in the market. It depends on the alcohol she has. It could be icy, it could be spicy, but it must be a surprise.
There would be a new blind cocktail every day. No one knows what it is, they have to taste it and try to guess what is inside.
How did Catherine feel when Selwyn decided to leave despite her hard work getting his job back?
Initially, she was upset – she was angry! They both did their best all throughout the last series, but she was angered by the fact it was too easy for him to abandon things after all of that. Ultimately, she’s disappointed, but he’s her best friend – whether he’s on Saint Marie or not, she will always support him.
Catherine also gets more involved in the team’s cases this year in interesting ways – do you think you could ever see Catherine joining the Saint Marie police team officially?
The bar is the best place for her to be. It allows her to know the people of Saint Marie, who’s working with who, and what dirty business may be going down. Her bar is a pillar of the community – it’s where people speak too much, where they dream too much, where they drink too much.
That’s why she knows so many things about so many people. She’s a hub of information; she knows the people and their business. She’s like Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch if he was also the mayor!
Catherine and Mervin’s relationship was at times a bit spiky last series due to his nature, how do we find them this series?
Their relationship has warmed up more since they first met. He’s realising that her bar is her bar – she’s a proud woman and she doesn’t want him to interfere in her livelihood. I think he recognises that she’s open-minded in terms of ideas, but sometimes he tends to try and push her buttons without realising.
We see Mervin coming to the bar and playing dominoes with the islanders, involving himself in the community more and that makes Catherine happy. She feels a sense of responsibility toward him the more he feels like one of the islanders, but she does still get a sense sometimes he’s still acting like a part of the community rather than really feeling part of the community.
If you could have one member of the team join the staff of Catherine’s bar, who would it be and why?
It would be Seb – he’s a young man and knows how to have fun, and Catherine could help him to grow with more responsibility. He could organise evening parties at her bar, teaching people how to dance the bachata, or karaoke.
This is your fifteenth year of playing Catherine – how have both you and her changed over those years?
There is always a different side that we can discover from Catherine. Her family, her past, her friends. What I love about Catherine is that she is a woman in her 60s who is independent and fighting for what she believes in, and I’m a little like that as well. I joke that I’m like the lawyer for Catherine because I’m always making sure that she represents someone, whether you’re a mother, grandmother, married or single, young or old, you can be an active member of your community, you can have fun flings and enjoy yourself no matter what age you are.
It’s important that Catherine as a character reminds those who are watching to always pursue what they want. Both Catherine and I are very similar in that way. Very often in my life, when something unusual happens to me, I ask myself ‘What would Catherine do? What would she say?’
Catherine Garton (Sergeant Mattie Fletcher)
(Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
Welcome to Saint Marie! How did you find filming your first series of Death in Paradise?
I loved it – everyone was really welcoming. Before going to Guadeloupe, I didn’t quite know what to anticipate, then it exceeded any expectations I could have had. I love the island. Guadeloupe is like a postcard. It’s quite unreal. Every time I walked out I was like “this exists, wow!”. It’s absolutely stunning. Everyone’s nice. I love the culture. The food’s great. Everyone I work with is great. I don’t have any complaints!
How would you describe Sergeant Mattie Fletcher?
Tenacious. She’s really fun to play. She’s sassy, but she’s like your big sister who will tell you what’s what, but you can also come to her if you need to. You can have a laugh with her. She’s very passionate about things, about her work and about the people that she grows to love, especially in the team. She’s also very determined, almost too determined sometimes…
What can viewers expect from her across the series?
Audiences can expect some action. Someone who’s lovable and who’s trying their best, but almost to a fault. She has something to prove to herself and to others and sometimes she can do that to her detriment, but it comes from a place of passion. They will see ups, downs and lots of sass!
Do you remember where you were when you found out you got the role?
I was in TK Maxx! I was in the shoe section, one shoe off, sliding another one on and my agent called me and told me. It was a moment!
What was it like meeting the rest of the cast and crew in Guadeloupe?
It was intimidating at first, because this is the biggest kind of role I’ve ever had, but everyone was just so nice and so welcoming. I remember the first time I saw Shantol and the biggest smile ever. I feel like I have family there now.
What does Mattie make of, or what are her first impressions on the team?
Everyone has their quirks and she susses them out pretty quickly. She really likes their dynamic and fits in well because she knows how to adapt.
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