Death in Paradise's new detective Don Gilet seen for the first time as he's mobbed by fans filming in Guadeloupe
Death in Paradise fans will be thrilled to hear that the BBC show is back and already filming as fans have flown to the Caribbean to pose with new actor Don Gilet on set.
The series announced at the beginning of May that Don - who famously played serial killer Lucas Johnson on EastEnders - would become the new star of Death in Paradise. He'll make his debut in the show's feature-length Christmas special this December.
Filming in Guadeloupe, which doubles as the fictional island of Saint Marie, has already started. Fans of the show have posted pictures, having flown out to see the star hard at work.
One woman posted her photo with Don and wrote as part of her caption: “Hard work for everyone. 35 degrees Celsius in the shadow. Everybody, I mean really everybody of the crew I've met is kind.”
Don Gilet poses with a fan on the set of Death in Paradise
Another fan flew out and posted about meeting the new star of the show. He wrote: “Met the new inspector today, What a nice person he is.”
Don is taking on the role of Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson, who arrives on the idyllic island of Saint Marie from London - and isn't too impressed with his new home. After being introduced in the Christmas special, Mervin will star in a brand new series next year.
Speaking about his new exciting role, Don said that it feels like "a deeply loved and incredibly precious jewel" has been placed in his hands.
The fan praised Don for being so 'nice' whilst he visited the set
"This is a big show," continued Don. "With a big heart and the love continually grows for it. It is my intention to never lose sight of that and to remain grateful, humbled and dedicated.
"Even during those testing times when every sinew is screaming at me to run off the set and dive into the sea, swimming pool or an ice-cold beer – whichever happens to be closer at the time!"
It’s not the first time Don has starred in Death in Paradise, he first featured in the series back in 2015, not as a detective, but as a murderer.
Don played a murderer on the series almost 10 years ago
He played a villain during Kris Marshall's (Detective Humphrey Goodman) time on the show. Don was cast as a murderer who offed the owner of a rum distillery during a seance.
Fans weren’t too pleased when they remembered Don’s previous stint. Another commented: "I like him but I guess this throws contingency out the window", while a third added: "he's already been in it as a killer of his boss at a rum distillery... Why must TV shows keep doing this I love Death in Paradise but now I can't watch because I just see him in the part he played in it."