BBC Death in Paradise's new detective 'not liked to start with' as he replaces Ralf Little

Don Gilet, the latest addition to Death in Paradise, has revealed his character's rocky start in Saint Marie. The former EastEnders actor is stepping into the spotlight of the hit series, taking over from Ralf Little, who played DI Neville Parker.

Don is set to make his debut as DI Mervin Wilson in the upcoming Death in Paradise Christmas special, which will be broadcast on 22 December.

Chatting on The One Show, Don gave viewers a sneak peek into DI Wilson's integration into island life: "He's not really liked, to start with. He doesn't wanna be there, doesn't like the place, the pace of the place... All this is working against him and against his methods," he confessed.

Don Gilet discussed Death in Paradise on The One Show (Image:BBC)

"He doesn't suffer fools gladly. He doesn't have much patience, he's a guy who doesn't stand still. Everything needs to be happening like that, at the pace of London, and if it's not, he gets impatient.

"And that's when you decide if you're gonna like him or not because he rubs his colleagues up the wrong way," Don continued.

He also revealed that although his character plans to leave the island, a murder case crops up while he's on a "kind of" holiday, dragging him into the seasonal whodunit. The One Show hosts Alex Jones and Clara Amfo previewed a scene where Mervin's boss rings him just as he's about to board a plane off the island, but fate seems to have other plans for him, reports WalesOnline.

The Death in Paradise Christmas special will air on 22 December

The teaser for the festive edition of Death in Paradise teases: "We're back on the beautiful island of Saint Marie, and this time with a new detective inspector in tow. Londoner Mervin Wilson ruffles some feathers as he clashes with the island's way of life.

"But he quickly sinks his teeth into one of the team's most puzzling murder cases yet: three men, all unconnected apart from the fact that they're dressed as Santa Claus, are shot with the exact same gun at the exact same time.

"As Mervin wrangles with this impossible murder, his colleagues struggle with their new boss's unusual working methods. And Dwayne's Christmas with his father doesn't exactly go to plan.."

The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One.