Death In Paradise star makes shock U-turn over reprising iconic character
Death in Paradise's Josephine Jobert has given fans an update on whether she'd consider reprising her role as DS Florence Cassell, and it seems she's had a change of heart. The actress won viewers over during her time on the tropical murder-mystery series, where she starred alongside detectives Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) and Neville Parker (Ralf Little). In the most recent season, Florence and Neville reignited their romance and sailed off into the sunset together, paving the way for Don Gilet's new character to make his entrance in the Christmas special.
Since then, fans have been left wondering if they'll ever see the characters again, with spin-off series Beyond Paradise, which follows the further adventures of Marshall's Humphrey, being a possible location for surprise cameos. Josephine may have just given fans hope in a recent Instagram Q&A, where she was asked if she would consider a "guest spot" on Beyond Paradise. This marks a significant shift in her stance on returning to the Paradise franchise, having previously told fans in an Instagram live that she could "safely say 'no'" to the prospect of reprising the role of Florence.
"I've already left and come back many times and I've definitely done my time on the show," she said in June.
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"I've finally been able to say goodbye to Florence, and while I am very grateful to have been part of this project that has brought so many lovely things in my life, I am also happy to be able to move on and take part in new projects."
Josephine added: "But I completely understand why the question is asked. In fact, I am very touched that the public wants to continue following Florence."
Despite the buzz around Josephine's latest remarks, fans should hold off on getting too excited just yet as no official word on her guest-starring role has surfaced though this won't stop the eager fanbase from stirring up speculation.
Josephine, who took on her first English-language role in the detective series in 2015, was a part of the detective series up until season 11, taking a short break in 2019 for both personal and professional reasons.
The actress returned for the 10th season in 2021, making her final appearance in episode four of season 11. Announcing her exit, the actress shared a video on the show's official Twitter account.
She said: "Well, that's it. Here we are, it's the big departure for Florence. Some of you had already felt for a long time that this was going to happen. So congratulations, you are the real detectives. You should come to Saint Marie to take my place."
However, her journey extends beyond the Sainte Marie shores, and fans are eager to catch up on her post-Death in Paradise adventures. Since her departure, Josephine has worked on the TV series Concordia, where she portrayed the character Mathilde. Josephine shared glimpses of her role on Instagram, posting photos from the set and providing fans with a sneak peek into her character's world.