With Ralf Little about to stand down from heading the cast of Death in Paradise, a Gavin and Stacey veteran has emerged as the contender to take his place.
Ralf, 44, who played DI Neville Parker on the detective programme for four years, resigned earlier this year following a poignant last episode that sent viewers to tears.
With the former Royle Family star out, speculation has been wild over who would fill his shoes, and it appears that another British sitcom classic is prepared to do exactly that.
Bookmaker Coral has picked Mathew Horne as their new favourite to succeed Ralf, with his chances of becoming the next detective recently reduced to just 6-4.
John Hill, a Coral spokesperson, said of the recent betting developments: ‘Mathew Horne is the big mover in our betting to be the next lead detective on Death In Paradise. He’s been well-backed over the last 24 hours, which may suggest he now leads the race for the role.’
Fans of Death in Paradise may be surprised to hear this news, since they had expected two other British comic stars to compete to portray the next DI.
Simon Bird of The Inbetweeners is expected to succeed Ralf at 5-2 odds, but Diane Morgan of Philomena Cunk is also in the running to become the show’s first lead female investigator.
Ben Miller was the series’ first detective, portraying DI Richard Poole in seasons one and two. Kris Marshall took over as DI Humphrey Goodman, and he remained from seasons three to six.
Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon portrayed DI Jack Mooney from seasons six to nine, when Ralf took over for five seasons in January 2020.
The Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps star said in a statement: ‘So, there you have it! Secret’s out! My time on Saint Marie has come to an end, but, what an end!’
He continued: ‘New adventures await Neville and he got to sail off into the sunset with his best friend – who knows what happens for them next! I just want to say, just an enormous thank you to everyone who watched and supported the show.’
Doctor Who star Peter Davison has indicated that his prospects of participating on Death in Paradise are quite small.
Speaking to The Mirror, Peter said: ‘I’ve noticed the parts are smaller now. I still get offered a good deal of work, but I’m not in that bracket where the shows I do say, “…and Peter Davison”.’
He continued: ‘I’m up for a challenge so I wouldn’t rule [Death in Paradise] out. But the chances are they may go for someone a bit younger.’
Peter did once appear in an episode of the crime comedy drama, back when Kris Marshall was leading the series, but wouldn’t mind coming back as the head the cast.
Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Source My Celebrity Life.