Death in Paradise star talks real-life friendship with co-star

"When I grow up, I want to be Don Warrington."

By Katie Francis

22 Dec 2022

ralf little as detective inspector neville parker in death in paradise

BBC

Ralf Little has played DI Neville Parker since season nine of Death in Paradise, and it turns out that he's gained a "best mate" from his time on the show.

Little appeared on today's (December 22) episode of The One Show, and spoke about his Death in Paradise experience.

Very sweetly, he took the time to express his admiration for Don Warrington (Commissioner Selwyn Patterson), sharing that the two have built a very close friendship.

death in paradise stars ralf little and don warrington

Denis Guyenon/Red PlanetBBC

When asked by host Ronan Keating whether the pair were "best mates," he joked: "I hope so!" explaining that he wished Warrington would say the same about their friendship if asked.

Little went on to describe Warrington, exclaiming: "He's just the best. He's a brilliant actor of course, but he's so cool. When I grow up, I want to be Don Warrington.

"He's just smooth, funny, he is quite implacable – a bit like the Commissioner – but definitely kind of got a twinkle is mischief in his eye as well."

He concluded "He's a great man. I feel very, very privileged to work with him."

Working on a Caribbean island with your best friend doesn't sound too bad, does it?

Little also shared a bit more about the Christmas special, which will air on Boxing Day.

He explained that the episode has a 90-minute runtime, meaning that it feels a bit like a film and it allowed them to "do something a bit different in tone".

He also hinted that the episode will be "surprisingly scary," with a "Dickensian ghost story" vibe.

The plot will also launch a new storyline for his character, according to the episode's synopsis: "After a chance encounter in an airport car park, could love finally be in the air for Neville Parker?"

Romances in the show and bromances behind the scenes. A perfect combination.

Death in Paradise returns on Boxing Day on BBC One followed by series 12 from January 6, 2023. A spin-off, Beyond Paradise, is in production.