EXCLUSIVE: Beyond Paradise actress Zahra Ahmadi has praised co-star Kris Marshall’s ‘relentless energy’
16:46, 05 Apr 2026Updated 16:50, 05 Apr 2026
Beyond Paradise could see the exit of more than one character(Image: BBC)
Beyond Paradise star Zahra Ahmadi, who portrays Detective Sergeant Esther Williams, has sung the praises of her on-screen colleague, Kris Marshall, who takes on the role of Detective Humphrey Goodman.
The latest instalment of the Death in Paradise spin-off has returned to television, following Humphrey and Esther, alongside their police colleagues, as they tackle a series of criminal cases in Shipton Abbott.
Yet, without his team’s knowledge, Humphrey faces a difficult choice and must part ways with one of his fellow officers – and this won’t be the only exit on the cards.
In an exclusive chat with Express.co.uk, the actress behind Esther gave fans a glimpse into what series four has in store and shared her experiences of working alongside Kris Marshall.
Zahra explained: “He takes his work very seriously, because he wouldn’t be as successful as he is if he didn’t. But what I really admire about Kris is his energy. It’s relentless,” reports the Express.
The Beyond Paradise cast(Image: BBC)
READ MORE: Beyond Paradise star Kris Marshall addresses complaints from BBC drama’s fansREAD MORE: Beyond Paradise fans predict heartbreaking exit for Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton
She went on to say: “And that’s a huge responsibility when you’re at the helm of a show like that, and you’re leading the cast and crew.
“And you know, often, I might come in and feel slightly tired, or, you know, stressed or whatever, and you only need to look at Kris and go, ‘No, actually, I need to take Kris’ lead on things’. And that’s the thing I admire most.
“He’s got such great energy, he’s got such a positive attitude, he’s so warm, he’s up for a good time, he’s always finding the light-heartedness in things.
“And I mean, it’s a real privilege to work with someone like that, because sometimes you need that, sometimes you need someone to gear you up, and he’s really great at that.”
Esther is set to bid farewell to her daughter, Zoe Williams (portrayed by Melina Sinadinou), who revealed plans to leave Shipton Abbott and travel overseas in Friday’s instalment.
While chatting with her employer, Martha Goodman (Sally Bretton), Zoe confided that she felt unfulfilled with her current life and yearned for something more meaningful.
Zahra paid tribute to her co-star Kris(Image: BBC)
She accidentally revealed her thoughts about relocating to Australia following an encounter with PC Kelby Hartford (Dylan Llewellyn). In a subtle reference to the Death in Paradise spin-off, Return to Paradise, Zoe mentioned considering Dolphin Cove, the setting for the new series.
Discussing her character’s relationship with her on-screen daughter and Zoe’s plans to leave, Zahra reflected: “I think this is the point. I don’t know how to say this without sounding really dramatic and probably overly dramatic.
“This is the point of no return, and I think all parents and children go through it, you know, the point where someone steps fully into adulthood, and both they and the parent realise that, and there’s a shift. There’s a massive shift.
“And I think that’s what we’re seeing here in series four, and that isn’t easy for either of them, particularly for Esther, and it throws up all sorts of issues.
“We see that at play, and we see the cogs kind of turning, and what we do see is, with that kind of reaching a point of no return, that kind of shift, we see what a good parent Esther is, because we see how well she’s raised her daughter, and we see what a wonderful human Zoe is.”
Beyond Paradise is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer.