Death in Paradise has welcomed a new character to the series following the exit of another
Abbie Bray Deputy Editor for Screen Time
08:59, 20 Jan 2026
Death in Paradise has welcomed a fresh face to the police force, with Ginny Holder noticeably missing from the latest series. Viewers will instead meet the new Police Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, portrayed by actress Catherine Garton. Darlene was similarly absent from the Death in Paradise Christmas special, making only a brief appearance through video link. Don Gilet returns to his role as Detective Mervin Wilson, joined by Shantol Jackson as DS Naomi Thomas.
Don Warrington reprises his part as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, with Elizabeth Bourgine returning as Catherine Bordey, whilst Shaquille Ali-Yebuah continues as Officer Sebastian Rose. The series will also feature notable guest appearances from Sarah Hadland, Siobhan Finneran, Hermione Norris, Steffan Rhodri, Ben Willbond, Gary Wilmot, and Tim McMullan.
In an exclusive chat with Express.co.uk and other media outlets, the cast reflected on Ginny’s departure, with Shantol Jackson confessing, “We’ll miss her,” reports the Express.
Darlene Curtis is absent from the series(Image: BBC)
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Shantol, portraying Naomi Thomas, explained, “We definitely Miss Ginny because Ginny’s character, she was like…so Catherine comes in and she’s the older sister, or, you know, the older cousin, but Ginny was like, Queen Mother.”
Shaquille, in his role as Officer Rose, added, “She was the auntie.” Shantol continued, “And the beautiful thing about Ginny was that she was auntie of the police station, so Darlene…she carried that in her character, and then that’s how she was outside of set.
“So, you know, we’ll find that we miss the character and miss the person, but you know, thankfully, Catherine has done so exceptionally well that you don’t feel like there is an empty gap. It doesn’t feel like, oh, ‘we are missing a person, or we are missing a character’. It doesn’t feel that way at all. You miss the person, but that space. I think Catherine has done a really good job in carrying Jonny’s baton, and so we’re just really grateful for that.”
Saint Marie Police Force has introduced its newest officer(Image: BBC)
The upcoming series will welcome an array of guest stars, including Julian Rhind-Tutt, Ace Bhatti, Louis Davison, Scarlett Alice Johnson, Sean Delaney, Lizzie Davidson, Kojo Kamara, Layo-Christina Akinlude, Sandra James-Young, Phoebe Sparrow, Antonia Bernath, and Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge, who stepped into Selwyn Patterson’s shoes following his departure from Saint Marie.
According to the series synopsis, “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.
“But 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.”
One character is missing from the Death in Paradise line-up(Image: BBC)
The synopsis continues, “A 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.”
Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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