EastEnders and Derry Girls stars join Death in Paradise spinoff as filming begins

From Saint Marie to rural UK.

By Jacob Sarkisian

2 Aug 2022

The hotly-anticipated Death in Paradise spin-off series Beyond Paradise has added three stars to the cast.

Filming on the series has started in South West England this week, with Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton joined by former EastEnders star Zahra Ahmadi, Derry Girls' Dylan Llewellyn, and Bridget Jones's Diary actress Felicity Montagu.

Ahmadi, known for her Albert Square role as Shabnam Masood, joins after previously featuring in a 2018 episode of Death in Paradise. She will play a different character, DS Esther Williams.

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Llewellyn has been cast as PC Kelby Hartford. He previously played Jono in Hollyoaks before starring as James in Channel 4's Derry Girls, which came to an end earlier this year.

Finally, Montagu will portray office support civilian Margo Martins.

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Beyond Paradise reunites Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton after the two collaborated on Death in Paradise. Humphrey was last seen leaving the isle of Saint Marie to pursue Martha and family life back in the UK, and this spin-off series will explore that as the new couple navigates life in rural Britain.

That peaceful life is interrupted as crimes begin to crop up and Humphrey realises the town has a surprisingly high crime rate. Each week, a new case will challenge him and his team.

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"It's exactly what you hope for in terms of if you're a fan of Death in Paradise," Marshall recently teased. "Obviously it's not in the Caribbean, but it's in its own paradise. It's got its own new twist on it."

The spin-off doesn't have a release date yet, but a Death in Paradise Christmas special directed by Ruth Carney and written by James Hall will air this year. Current Saint Marie detective Ralf Little will star in the special after the show's most recent series concluded in February earlier this year.

Death in Paradise airs on BBC One.