Death in Paradise star Don Gilet has spoken candidly about the mix of excitement and pressure he felt reprising his role for the show's upcoming Christmas special, describing the return as "great" yet "slightly daunting". The 58-year-old actor, who joined the hit BBC drama last year as Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson, is set to return to the sun-soaked fictional island of Saint Marie for a festive episode airing later this month.
The 'Second Album' Pressure for the New Detective
In a recent interview with the BBC, Gilet compared the experience of coming back for another case to the pressure of releasing a follow-up album. "I jokingly describe it as the second album," he revealed. "The first album went really well, but you can't rest on your laurels and be complacent. There's still more audience out there to win over."
He expanded on this feeling during an appearance on BBC's The One Show on Monday, December 16, acknowledging the weight of following popular predecessors like Ben Miller and Ralf Little. "I feel the pressure doing this," Gilet confessed to hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp. "I was the replacement, like a replacement Doctor Who, and people have their favourites prior to that."
What to Expect from the Festive Special
Gilet promises that the 2025 Christmas special will deliver the show's signature blend of mystery and charm, but with added emotional depth. "It pushes and pulls emotionally and comedically in equal measure," he teased. He indicated that his character, DI Mervin Wilson, will face heightened challenges, including "far more antagonism" and the ongoing personal quest to find a previously unknown half-brother.
Despite the tougher journey for the detective, Gilet assures fans it will still be perfect festive viewing. "You can still get cosy, sip your Baileys and enjoy another great Death in Paradise Christmas special," he added.
A Perplexing Locked-Room Mystery
The special will present one of the team's most baffling cases to date. The plot involves a victim discovered dead in a swimming pool on Saint Marie. The twist that has detectives completely stumped is that the murder weapon was, according to all evidence, securely locked away in a drawer in England at the precise time of the killing.
Gilet expressed his enthusiasm for returning to film in Guadeloupe, the Caribbean location that doubles as Saint Marie. "So, I went out to Guadeloupe with a renewed appetite," he said. "It was great to come back and reconnect with the characters and the actors."
The Death in Paradise Christmas special is scheduled to air on BBC One on Sunday, December 28 at 8.30pm.
