List of Death in Paradise characters
This article lists characters from the BBC crime comedy drama Death in Paradise, which began airing in 2011.
Series main cast timeline
Characters by series
Timeline
Table of character appearances
Episode count is as of episode 15.1- Cast list is in chronological order of appearance in the programme, and in the case of cast who began featuring in the programme at the same time, in credit order.
- Morven Christie, James Fox and Judith Jaboc both featured in voice-only for their first appearances - episodes 3.1, 4.7 and 14.3, respectively.
- List consists of all main and recurring characters.
Current characters
Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson
Mervin Wilson is a DI from London, who makes his first appearance in the 2024 Christmas special when he is recruited by Commissioner Pattison to lead a murder investigation while he was vacating on Saint Marie. He later reveals that he came to the island primarily because he found out that Dorna Bray - his biological mother whom he never met - lives on the island and came hoping to reconnect, though he is informed that she died a few months prior in an apparent boating accident. While he originally had no intentions of remaining on the island, he agrees to stay on a short-term contract after he uncovers evidence that his mother's death may have not been accidental but in fact murder.Mervin initially doesn't mesh well with the team, with his curt and occasionally rude manner clashing with the others. But he warms to the island over time and gains the team's respect after proving himself to be a more than capable DI at solving various complex cases. He reveals during a conversation with Naomi during Series 14, Episode 5, that he was previously engaged to a woman back in the UK, but their relationship ended due to the intense demands of his DI role. In Series 14, Episode 7, he successfully solves his mother's murder and arrests the guilty party. While he once again plans on leaving the island following this, he chooses to once again remain after he is informed by Patterson that he has a brother who lives on the island.
Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas
Sergeant Naomi Thomas joins the Saint Marie Police Force at the start of Series 11 as JP's replacement. She was born on Saint Barnabas, a neighbouring island to Saint Marie, and enrolled in the police force there where she achieved her sergeant status. However, due to the island's small size and population, Naomi had never worked on a homicide case before joining the force at Saint Marie. She is shown to be very dedicated to her job, a trait that sometimes got in the way of her professionalism, but nevertheless her enthusiasm for the job impresses her fellow officers.Following Florence's departure from the show midway through series 11, Naomi shows her interest in becoming the new Detective Sergeant, and following discussions with DI Neville Parker and the Commissioner, she is accepted and becomes the new DS.
Officer Sebastian Rose
Supporting characters
Catherine Bordey
Camille's French mother and owner of a bar where the police team often chat about the case over a drink. She makes a particularly good cup of tea, according to DI Richard Poole, although generally their relationship with each other is strained because of his prejudice toward the French. She raised Camille as a single mother and is therefore very close to her. She does not react badly when Camille confirms she is thinking of leaving; in fact, she supports Camille and respects her choices, urging her to do whatever makes her happy. When Camille leaves, she has a spare room and lets the homeless JP stay in it when Goodman finds out he has nowhere to live and is sleeping in the police cells. In Series 5 Episode 5, JP tells Catherine that he is in love with his high school crush, Rosey Fabrice, but was told by Dwayne not to admit this. This angers Catherine, who confronts Dwayne to encourage JP to be open with Rosey.Following the resignation of Mayor Joseph Richards in a scandal at the end of Series 6, Episode 1, Catherine decides to stand as a candidate in the mayoral election to replace him. She is elected in Series 6, Episode 8 after one of the other candidates is murdered due to an old vendetta and the other is convinced to stand down from the election by the police team after they discover his hypocritical actions. During the investigation, it is strongly implied that the killers attempted to frame Catherine for the murder, but this part of the plan fails as none of the team is able to believe that Catherine would commit murder.
In Series 10, Episodes 5–6, Catherine is assaulted by an attacker owing to her links to an ongoing case, which causes her to be admitted to hospital with a serious head trauma. Her daughter Camille returns to the island to visit her and help solve the case. Catherine's condition worsens after a bleed in her brain is discovered and she subsequently requires surgery to prevent her from dying. Despite Camille fearing the worst, Catherine makes a full recovery and she and Camille decide to go away for a few weeks together to make up for Camille not visiting her since she left the island.
In Series 12, Episode 8, it is revealed that Catherine is going to be a grandmother, as Camille and her boyfriend are expecting a baby.
Commissioner Selwyn Patterson
The island's police commissioner, who has risen through the ranks to become Saint Marie's top policeman, in charge of staffing. Though mainly operating in the background in most episodes, Patterson advises the team on cases of particular difficulty, or which involve political or social interest where the island's most notable figures are involved. This ranges from asking Poole to be cautious about accusing a man with a particular reputation on the island to asking Poole not to disprove the idea that a notorious pirate hid his treasure on the island. It was revealed in Series 3, Episode 3, that he had in fact broken the law once during his life, that being when he was jailed for a day over parking fines many years ago. Initially more apparently focused on political implications over individuals, such as being angered at Poole when a suspect was stabbed in the back while in Poole's custody because of the implications for public perception, he has shown signs of softening over time, such as allowing an incident where Officer Myers told a journalist that the commissioner blundered around like an old goat to be dismissed as a significant misquote, and warmly welcoming DI Jack Mooney to the island after Humphrey Goodman requests reassignment. He developed a close friendship with DI Mooney, though his relationship with DI Neville Parker is much more complicated due to the latter's more eccentric behaviours and "chaotic" methods. However, this relationship also improves over time as the commissioner notices his effectiveness and efforts to adapt. He also has a habit of appearing surprisingly quietly at the station, usually startling the detective pondering the case.Patterson visibly considers police work to be primarily in service of the island and its people. In some early cases he would pressure the detectives to avoid damaging the island's image or causing stress to individuals who appear innocent when the angle of the investigation appears to be poorly evidenced, rather than pursuing results at all costs. Over time, however, he has adopted a more relaxed attitude in this regard, content to let the detectives follow the evidence and simply offering advice rather than attempting to 'nudge' the investigation. He is also a member of many clubs and organisations, and appears to know many people on the island personally, maintaining friendly relationships rather than using his position of power. He also visibly takes any past failures of his police work and unresolved investigations very seriously and personally, struggling to accept that a new investigation may yield better results. However, he is always willing to accept new evidence, such as the reopening of an eight-year-old murder case where it has just been revealed that the woman arrested had an alibi that went unconfirmed because her companion was visiting on holiday and left before he could be questioned, and is visibly relieved when such matters are finally resolved and the true guilty party exposed.
Very little is known throughout the show about Patterson's personal or family life until in Series 11, Episode 8, when his ex-wife, Maggie, appears on the island, who had left him years prior due to the demands of her profession as a journalist. It is revealed that although he has had other partners since, he has never remarried. Despite remaining separated for a long time, it appears they still have feelings for each other, and it is revealed at the end that her daughter, Andrina, whom he never met until now, is also his daughter. He meets Andrina in the following series and the two slowly begin to connect.
In Series 14, Episode 1, Patterson is informed that due to budget cuts and boardroom changes, his position as Commissioner on the island is being discontinued, much to his and the team's dismay. While the decision is eventually reversed by the series' end and he is offered his job back, he declines due to it becoming clear that the board no longer valued him the same as before. He later changes his mind during the 2025 Christmas special, and returns to the island as Commissioner in Series 15, Episode 1.
Past characters
Characters who have previously starred in a main role in the programme, in standard credit order:Detective Inspector Richard Poole
A British inspector assigned to the island to investigate the previous inspector's murder, Poole was instructed to remain on the island as the new police detective, much to his dismay. Despite his distaste for the island and inexperience with tropical weather - to the point where he continues to wear his old suits and drinks almost nothing but tea - he often showed a useful knack for making deductive leaps based on minimal information and apparently random events, and favoured making arrests by addressing all the suspects at once before identifying the killer. In series 2 he grew slightly more relaxed and recommended Fidel for his sergeant's exam. Poole briefly returns to London at the end of Episode 2, but in spite of his distaste for Saint Marie, he chooses to return. Poole is murdered in the first episode of Series 3, at an on-island reunion of Cambridge university classmates, by Helen Reid, when he threatened to expose her identity theft. He was replaced by DI Humphrey Goodman.Poole makes a brief guest cameo in Series 10, Episode 6 when Camille returns to the island briefly to help on a case and due to her mother Catherine being admitted to hospital after being attacked. He encourages her to spend more time with Catherine before disappearing, being simply a figment of Camille's mind.