Inside Return to Paradise star Lloyd Griffith's life off-screen from £6k procedure to Soccer AM exit
Return to Paradise has introduced an entirely new team Down Under but what should fans know about the star behind DS Colin Cartwright?
The Death in Paradise universe has expanded once again with the Australian based Return to Paradise, focussing on DI Mackenzie Clarke (played by Anna Samson) who makes a comeback to her hometown.
Among those at the very beginning was Colin Cartwright (Lloyd Griffith) who was keen to get his hands on her job but with the BBC series now underway, what is there to know about the actor away from the show?
Unexpected first career
While 41-year-old Lloyd is best known as a comedian, both in stand-up and on television, he initially pursued the life of a classical choral singer, originally training at the University of Exeter.
But following a move to London and a night out in Shoreditch in 2008 to a stand-up comedy gig, Lloyd knew he had to do something very different with his life.
Speaking to Leeds Heritage Theatres, he shared: “Lee Hurst was hosting and the acts were Milton Jones, Stefano Paolini and Micky Flanagan.
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“None of them had done any TV at the time and I just lost my mind. I could not believe this existed. So I just became obsessed with comedy.”
Nevertheless, he still describes himself as an “active singer”: “I deputise in various professional choirs. I saw all my friends singing at the Queen’s funeral.
“If someone is ill or has another engagement that’s when I come in. I’m a kind of choral super sub.”
Soccer AM
Lloyd began his career as a stand-up comedian in 2010 and went on to work on the comedy short Inheritance and on the BBC Radio 1 Comedy Lounge in 2014.
While he was still working the live circuit, the star landed himself as a presenter on hit Sky sports show Soccer AM, where he remained for two years until his exit.
Addressing the reason for his departure on X, formerly Twitter, he shared: “I’ve had two amazing years working on Soccer AM, however, I’ve decided to step down to focus on other projects.
“I watched the show as a kid through to an adult, so to have been able to sit on that sofa and dive around in that car park was an absolute dream come true. I’ll be tuning in every Saturday, as long as the guys can sort me out with a friends and family deal!”
And it appears that his departure may have been because he wanted to delve into the world of acting, going on to appear in Not Going Out, Whitstable Pearl, Nolly, Ted Lasso and The Outlaws, just to name a few.
Surgery
The 41-year-old shared that he previously had a Harley Street hair transplant which set him back a whopping £6,000.
He had been described as “bald” for the first time by a makeup artist while preparing for Soccer AM.
When they sprinkled black powder on Lloyd’s head, the make-up artist said it was “for the cameras” as it was something used “so the lights don’t bounce off your bald patches”.
After undergoing the procedure, the presenter wrote a first-person account for The Observer, commenting on this “journey of self discovery”.
He said: “The day itself was emotional. I’ll think back on it fondly because it felt so empowering, as if I was doing a reverse Samson and getting my strength back.
“I recognise myself a bit more now, in the mirror and also within my actual self, not just because of the hairline. It’s been the biggest journey of self discovery I’ve ever taken.”
Favourite moment on spin-off so far
Since earlier this month, Lloyd has been portraying DS Colin Cartwright in the BBC series Return to Paradise, the second Death in Paradise spin-off to come to fruition.
When asked by the BBC what scene he enjoyed shooting the most in series one, he joked: “My favourite moment, without a shadow of a doubt, was one of my first scenes with Glenn Strong, played by Tai Hara, where he comes out of the sea in a wetsuit, and I have to ‘act’ like I'm kind of obsessed with him, and mesmerized by him.
“I kept mucking up my lines just to keep watching him come in and out of the sea again.”
Return to Paradise continues every Friday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
