Death In Paradise fans were left worrying that Ralf Little will soon leave the BBC crime drama following a cryptic message posted on his social media.
The DI Neville Parker actor has been a series regular since season nine, but there have been some concerns about his future on the show after he posted a throwback photo of himself before he was cast in the role, along with the caption:
"28th May 2019. The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland. The next day I got the call to say I'd been cast in @deathinparadiseofficial and my life changed forever. Not a day goes by I don't appreciate how lucky I am.
"Appreciate every one of you who watched and took DI Neville Parker into your hearts."
Related: Doctor Who casting rumours addressed by Death in Paradise star Kris Marshall
Fans were quick to point out that Little's touching tribute to his character, as well as the fact that he was speaking about the show in the past tense, was implying that his time as the DI may be coming to an end.
However, replying to one concerned fan who wrote: "'Watched' 'took' past tense? Surely not!" Little thankfully cleared up the confusion and confirmed that he would not be leaving.
"Watched it when I first started I mean," he explained. "Never know how an audience is going to react to an incoming character, especially on a show that's so well loved."
Related: Death in Paradise's Ralf Little reacts to Will Mellor joining Strictly
Kris Marshall will soon reprise his role as DI Humphrey Goodman in the upcoming spin-off series Beyond Paradise, and he recently revealed that the new show will have a slightly different plot structure to the original series.
"It's carrying on from where we left Humphrey Goodman and Martha, with their new bucolic south-western lifestyle," he told said.
"The classic Death In Paradise way of wrapping up the show is spun on its head a bit – not every episode is a murder – so more sheep rustling and stuff like that!"
Death in Paradise airs on BBC One.
Death in Paradise
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