Beyond Paradise 2025 Christmas special teased by star as Martha hides a secret

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

A smiling Barbara Flynn is being careful not to say too much about this year’s trip to Shipton Abbott in the Beyond Paradise Christmas special – “they don’t tell me anything,” she clearly fibs. But she lets slip a few hints: “It starts with a party for the gang – we’re all having a lovely time, but of course it sets the scene for the first puzzle. And Martha has a secret; she wants to spring a surprise.”

That’s all we get before Flynn firmly zips her lips. Previously a familiar face in shows from Open All Hours to Cracker, the veteran actor knows better than to spoil the fun for Beyond Paradise’s many fans. Since the show’s 2023 debut, Flynn has regularly stolen scenes as Anne – mum of Martha (Sally Bretton), prospective mother-in-law of DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall).

“I adore Sally,” she says. “We had a lot of scenes together when the show began, talking about grief for Martha’s father, and it wasn’t long after my own husband had died, so it was good to have that outlet. That’s the wonderful thing about acting.”

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There has also been a slow but palpable thawing in Anne’s feelings for Humphrey. “Well, there’s the obvious mother-in-law thing, but yes,” Flynn agrees, “he’s divine. There’s the thing of him being clumsy, which is funny because Kris isn’t at all clumsy, he’s the opposite. But Humphrey is always in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. And there’s all that in this story.”

With series four of Beyond Paradise (the first of the Death in Paradise spin-offs) currently filming, what does Flynn credit for its extraordinary success? “Most age groups are represented,” she reflects, “so you have this amazing place where people can go and see themselves and their own existences. And I think of something Kelby [Dylan Llewellyn] says in this Christmas episode, about a character ‘being home for Christmas’. It’s very gentle, but that warmth is key.”

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Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise air on BBC iPlayer.

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