Death in Paradise's Ben Miller calls for Mr Bates star to take over from Ralf Little
Former Death in Paradise star Ben Miller has shared his thoughts on which star should step into Ralf Little’s shoes following his departure, after he bowed out of the show at the conclusion of series 13. Although no news has yet been announced about which star is set to take over from Ralf, who had played DI Neville Parker for the last four years, Ben didn’t hold back when he shared his own suggestions for the new lead role.
"Oh my God, there are so many people who'd be brilliant," he told RadioTimes.com, before suggesting: “Toby Jones that's who I'd like to see.”
Veteran actor Toby Jones is no stranger to the screen, having been a staple of several TV shows and blockbuster films over the years including in Captain America: The First Avenger, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and even Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom to name but a few.
Most recently however, Toby captivated audiences in Mr.Bates vs The Post Office, a dramatic retailing of the Horizon post office scandal which saw hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system.
In addition to Toby, Ben also suggested that a female lead could also “definitely work” for the show as he added: "I could see that, 100%. I think that'd be good too. If we're playing fantasy detectives, Miranda Hart.”
Ralf Little bowed out of the series last month, when his character Neville finally sailed off into the sunset with his love interest Florence Cassell. Confirming his exit as soon as the episode had aired, Ralf told his fans: "My time on Saint Marie has come to an end – what an end! New adventures await Neville, and he got to sail away into the sunset with his best friend. Who knows what happens for them next!”
The star also went on to express his gratitude to fans that had supported him on his journey, as he added it was "an absolute privilege and a pleasure to bring Neville Parker to all of you and to share his quite profound journey with you".
He continued: "It's been one of the most magical and profound experiences of my entire life. The team that makes Death in Paradise – the producers, writers, directors, crew, guest cast, and my magnificent co-stars – they know what they're doing, and the future is in good hands. I can't wait to see what happens next. It's been the ride of a lifetime.”
Ben meanwhile, was last seen on the show back in 2021 when he made a brief reprisal of his role as DI Richard Poole, which had previously been held between 2011 and 2014. He is currently starring in the latest series of Professor T on ITV.
