Death in Paradise fans are all aflutter with the latest gossip on who's set to take over from Ralf Little as Saint Marie's top detective, after he hangs up his badge as DI Neville Parker at the end of series 13. Since stepping into the sunny crime scene in 2020, Ralf has nabbed the title of longest-serving DI, clocking in four years cracking cases.
But whispers among the fanbase hint at a familiar face possibly making a grand return to the Caribbean beat. A snapshot of Ardal O'Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney popped up on a Facebook fan group, sparking a wave of excitement.
Jack bid adieu to island life and jetted back to London for some quality time with his daughter.
The comments section lit up with viewers begging the Beeb to bring Ardal back for another stint. "He was my favourite," gushed one enthusiast, while another chimed in: "I thought he was the best, bring him back."
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Another joined the chorus, saying: "I wish he could come back." And someone else threw in their two pence: "Jack was my favourite DI. He got involved with the community and the people. Maybe they will bring him back?" "Love him, they should definitely bring him back to replace Ralf," speculated another fan.
Meanwhile, another hot theory doing the rounds is that DS Angela Young might step up to the plate as the show's first female lead DI. Played by Shirley Henderson, famed for her Harry Potter role, Angela dropped into Saint Marie for a brief spell in 2011, seconded to the local police on a working vacay.
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While her character stirred up controversy for falsely accusing a man, one viewer in a Facebook group discussion hailed her as the potential new lead detective: "Watching classic episode with DS Angela young and think she should be the new DI."
Echoing the sentiment, another fan lauded Shirley Henderson's acting chops: "She was my favourite but then I think Shirley Henderson is an amazing actress. I think she could mellow over time and become more likeable once we get to know her."
The speculation over who will take on the role of the new DI in Death in Paradise has ignited passionate discussions among viewers, with one exclaiming: "I think she was the most disliked person on DIP LOL."
Meanwhile, Simon Bird, famed for his role in The Inbetweeners, is currently tipped as the frontrunner to succeed Ralf Little, with Betfred giving him a 36.4 percent chance and odds of 3/1, according to the Express.
Chasing close behind is Martin Clunes, known for Doc Martin, with odds of 6/1. Betfred's Kayley Cornelius commented: "While Simon Bird still remains the firm favourite to replace Ralf Little, we could expect to see his 3/1 odds shorten in the coming weeks after a new fan favourite, Martin Clunes, has emerged."
"With the Doc Martin star being increasingly backed by bettors to take over as DI Neville Parker, we've seen him surge in the betting markets, positioning him as a strong second favourite with 6/1 odds. As these odds continue to shift in favour of Clunes, it seems likely that he'll soon overtake as the top contender."
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