BBC Death in Paradise's Ralf Little reprises beloved role and fans will be delighted

Death in Paradise enthusiasts are in for a treat as Ralf Little reprises his role as Detective Neville Parker in a repeat episode airing tonight.

The episode, titled Steamy Confessions, initially aired in 2021 as the second instalment of season 10 and will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm tonight.

The episode's synopsis teases: "An archaeologist is poisoned during a dig, and with only two suspects and a quick confession, it looks like this is going to be an open-and-shut case.

READ MORE: ITV chef James Martin takes extreme measure to protect himself after incident

READ MORE: Maura Higgins makes Love Island return as she's branded 'ultimate bombshell'

"However, it turns out the archaeologists were not alone - and the team realise they have little to no evidence.

"Meanwhile, Neville and Florence realise they might get along better than they originally thought, although the DI's attempts to embrace island life do not find favour with the Commissioner," reports the Express.

Neville's return is not the only exciting comeback, as fans will also be thrilled to see Florence Cassell (played by Josephine Jobert) back on screen.

Tobi Bakare will also reprise his role as police officer JP Hooper, while Tahj Miles makes his debut as trainee police officer Marlon Pryce in this repeat episode.

Since the episode's initial airing, Tobi, Tahj, Ralf, and Josephine have all left the show to pursue other projects.

Tobi was the first to bid farewell to the fictional island of Saint Marie in 2021, at the conclusion of series 10. The actor disclosed that he realised his time on the show was coming to an end three years prior to his character's departure from Saint Marie.

Speaking to RadioTimes, he recalled a pivotal moment during the shooting of the seventh season in a church.

He recounted, "The preacher mentioned seven years in a message. As soon as he mentioned seven years, I don't know what happened. It just clicked.

"It was like a moment of realisation. I had three more years left. It was three more years until it would be seven years, but it just hit me so hard. At this time, my wife was in the UK, and I told her that I know when it's going to be time for me to leave the show."

Following Ralf and Josephine, who departed the series in season 13 after their characters left for a new life together, Tahj Miles also exited the show at the conclusion of the same series, with his character moving to Jamaica with his sister.

Ralf's character's departure made way for the arrival of newcomer Mervin Wilson as the new leading detective, played by Don Gilet.

Discussing his departure on BBC Breakfast, Ralf revealed: "You know, this last series was always going to be my last series. I spoke to the BBC and Red Planet, the production company, and we all agreed."

Had it been solely up to him, Ralf felt he'd have remained on the show for two decades: "If it was just a heart decision, I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years. But just for the show and for my character, Neville, it just sort of felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed.

"He deserved a happy ending, and it just felt right."

Death in Paradise will be broadcast at 9pm tonight on BBC One.