Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WhatToWatch
WhatToWatch
Entertainment
David Hollingsworth

Death in Paradise reveals Christmas special guest stars including Ghosts legend

Death in Paradise Christmas special 2024 cast.

Death in Paradise has revealed the guest stars for this year's Christmas special including Ghosts actor Jim Howick.

Jim, best known for playing ghost Pat in the sitcom, will be featured in the first case of the island's new detective, DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet).

Angela Griffin (The Wives), Marcus Brigstocke (The Unbelievable Truth), Steven Hartley (Happy Valley), Elizabeth Carling (Hotel Portofino), Michael Salami (Supacell) and Dex Lee (Doctors) will also feature in the Death in Paradise Christmas special 2024.

Ghosts star Jim Howick will be in the festive episode (Image credit: (C) Monumental Television)

It's not clear yet who'll be the suspects and who'll be suffering their last Christmas as the murder victim. It has though been revealed that Dwayne's father (Ram John Holder) features in the episode.

Teasing the plot, the BBC says: "We're back on the beautiful island of Saint Marie, and this time with a new detective inspector in tow. Londoner Mervin Wilson ruffles some feathers as he clashes with the island's way of life. But he quickly sinks his teeth into one of the team's most puzzling murder cases yet: three men, all unconnected apart from the fact that they're dressed as Santa Claus, and seemingly all shot with the exact same gun at the exact same time. As Mervin wrangles this impossible murder, his colleagues struggle with their new boss's unusual working methods. And Dwayne's Christmas with his father doesn't exactly go to plan…"

Back for the special is series regulars Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, Shantol Jackson as DS Naomi Thomas, Ginny Holder as Officer Darlene Curtis, Danny John-Jules as Officer Dwayne Myers and Élizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey.

Don Gilet leads the show as DI Mervin Wilson (Image credit: BBC)

Don Gilet is taking over as the show's lead detective following the departure of Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker. The Christmas episode will be the first time we see DI Mervin Wilson and then he will feature in Death in Paradise season 14, which will begin early next year.

Don, who was once a guest star on the show, said: "I am delighted to have returned to the wonderful island of Guadeloupe and this time to be stepping into the well-worn shoes of the Detective Inspector. It's been a real pleasure filming such a beloved series alongside the hardworking cast and crew. I can't wait for the fans to see how DI Mervin Wilson fares on the island, how he fits within the Saint Marie police team and what secrets may unfold…".

Meanwhile, fans also have the new Aussie spin-off, Return to Paradise, to look forward to. Return to Paradise will start on BBC One on Friday, November 22 at 8 pm (see our TV guide for full listings) and it will be available as a boxset from November 22 on BBC iPlayer. We don't have a US release date yet for Return to Paradise.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.