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- Return to Paradise star teases "hellish" start to season 3 for Mackenzie, following major cliffhanger
Return to Paradise star teases "hellish" start to season 3 for Mackenzie, following major cliffhanger
"The first episode of season 3 is maybe the most uncomfortable we've ever seen her, and we've seen her uncomfortable quite a lot."
BBC/John Platt
- James Hibbs
Published: Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 8:00 am
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The end of Return to Paradise season 2 was a difficult time for Anna Samson's Mackenzie, with Glenn leaving her and Dolphin Cove behind to go travelling after his disastrous almost-wedding.
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Now, as season 3 begins, Samson has revealed that Mackenzie is in an even worse place, due to the arrival of her mother and a 'demotion' as punishment for meddling in Glenn's life by his mother and Mackenzie's superior, Philomena.
Speaking exclusively with Radio Times about the new season, Samson said of Mackenzie: "I think she's in a kind of purgatory, waiting for Glenn to make some kind of contact or come back. For the first time we meet her not trying to escape Dolphin Cove. That doesn't mean she's happy at all.
"I think there's a sense of guilt that they left on such bad terms. Really, they left on terrible terms, and she's waiting for some kind of fix to it, but has no power over it - no power over when he comes back or how to fix it. So she's out of control of that, which she doesn't like at all."
Anna Samson and Kerry Armstrong in Return to Paradise season 3. BBC/John Platt
"She's also been popped into uniform," Samson continues. "It's kind of a symbolic demotion, and with someone who's so ambitious and so proud, that does not feel good at all. And then her mum, who she's kind of estranged from, shows up and starts pushing all of her buttons.
"Her mum keeps referring to Colin as her boss, which again she hates because she quite likes the status that she has, so nothing is going right at all, and instead of running away, she's sitting in it, and it is so uncomfortable for her.
"So the first episode of season 3 is maybe the most uncomfortable we've ever seen her, and we've seen her uncomfortable quite a lot. The first episode is very funny, but for Mackenzie, it's hellish. It's hellish."
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Glenn might have left town at the end of season 2 but he is set to return, with Tai Hara back in the cast for season 3. He is joined by other returning stars including Lloyd Griffith, Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland and Aaron McGrath.
Meanwhile, Kerry Armstrong joins the cast as Mackenzie's mother, Jillian, as does Jacob Collins-Levy, playing new pathologist, Leo.
Return to Paradise season 3 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Friday 6 November.
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Authors
James HibbsDrama Writer
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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