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Ben Miller reveals he would love Death in Paradise character DI Richard Poole to return despite being killed off 12 years ago

"I do really miss that character," he told Radio Times.

Ben Miller returns to Death in Paradise; in this image, Richard Poole is walking down a sandy beach in a suit, holding a briefcase

Published: Monday, 3 August 2026 at 12:27 pm

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Former Death in Paradise star Ben Miller has discussed his regret over having to leave the hit series, and lamented that he's too "ruddy old" to lead a prequel for his ill-fated character.

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The actor played DI Richard Poole in the first two seasons of the Caribbean-set mystery drama, before bowing out in a shocking storyline that saw the detective himself become a murder victim.

The nature of his departure has made it difficult for Miller to make subsequent appearances in the so-called 'Paraverse', in contrast to later stars Kris Marshall (now leading Beyond Paradise) and Ardal O'Hanlon (a recent guest in Return to Paradise).

Miller has found further sleuthing success as the title character in ITV's Professor T, but told Radio Times that he would still like another shot at the late DI Poole.

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"If I wasn't so ruddy old, I could play him in a prequel," joked Miller. "I loved the character and I loved the show. It just came at a slightly unfortunate time in my life."

The difficult timing concerned his then-imminent fatherhood, which made long stretches spent away from home an impossibility.

He continued: "But I do really miss that character. And funnily enough [Paraverse creator and writer] Rob Thorogood has carried on writing stories for Richard Poole, which is quite fun, so that's a nice way to live the character again."

Indeed, Thorogood has penned four novels starring DI Poole, which were first published between 2015 and 2018, in the years following Miller's exit from Death in Paradise.

Miller's departure inadvertently set a template that Death in Paradise still follows to this day, with lead detectives on the drama typically staying on for a few seasons before passing the coveted gig on to the next person.

Don Gilet (EastEnders) currently fronts the series as DI Mervin Wilson, following in the footsteps of Miller, Marshall, O'Hanlon and Ralf Little.

Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

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Authors

A head and shoulders shot of Abby Robinson. She is in front of a grey background, looking at the camera and smiling. She wears a black zipped-up jacket with an elaborate gold and maroon design

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.

Matt Maytum

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