Blackout and an electrocuted body lead the cops into the confusing world of cryptocurrency in Death in Paradise

But which DI can claim to have put in the most man hours on Saint Marie? Well, believe it or not, it’s actually the current incumbent Neville Parker, played by Ralf Little.

The actor admits that came as a surprise to him too, as he joined the show during its 69th episode (this week, we reach 103).

He says: “If I’m really honest, I was just hoping to get to the end of the first series and for everybody not to hate it. Everything after that was a bonus!”

The former Royle Family star adds: “At the risk of sounding like a footballer going, ‘It’s all about the team’, these personal milestones are lovely to reach and they’re incredibly satisfying. But it is all about the show, the people loving it and everyone working together.

“For me to have been here and be lucky enough to lead a stellar cast and be trusted with this legacy is something I can’t believe. I thank my lucky stars every day and feel like I’ve won the lottery.”

And while he may have stayed put the longest, he is keen to point out that his character has evolved during the time.

Ralf explains: “His arc has always been to be bold enough to push himself out of his comfort zone. I’m still sick of reading about how he’s a hypochondriac. He’s not. We’ve made that clear right from the start. There were real issues that he was dealing with, but he’s learned that these are issues, and he must deal with them rather than hide away and protect himself. He faces them and lives a fuller and richer life for it.”

It’s not just Neville who has changed, as Ralf believes the storylines have also moved with the times. This week’s episode is a case in a point, as a blackout and an electrocuted body lead the cops into the confusing world of cryptocurrency.

Ralf says: “The writers really do keep trying to find these new settings, stories, weird things and what reflects the modern world. The show has a slightly vintage feel but it’s also very modern. Looking into crypto hacking was great, someone gets electrocuted because they’re stealing power.”

He adds: “I thought it was like the doomsday preppers episode from last year. There’s no reason why we wouldn’t have doomsday preppers in the valley. It’s not quite Doctor Who where you can literally do anything, but they sort of have the leeway to go, ‘let’s use our imaginations and see what might be in the world and then set it in what a Caribbean version would look like’.

“I think that’s great and this year, the writers have outdone themselves.”