Death in Paradise’s Don Warrington says fans are “right to worry” about Selwyn following major decision
When we last left Selwyn in Death in Paradise, he had turned his back on the police force he had served with for 50 years.
After initially being replaced by a young buck, he was eventually offered his job back by the powers that be, who came to realise what they’d be losing without him at the helm.
But even though he was clearly miserable without his commissioner’s uniform, Selwyn decided to reject that offer.
“It felt wrong to say yes, too much has happened,” he told Catherine in the series, “And right now, I can’t see a way to get back to how things were.”
And it seems he remains committed to that decision for the time being.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of this year’s Death in Paradise Christmas special, actor Don Warrington said that fans of the show are “right to worry” that they might have seen the last of the commissioner.
“He made a decision, and who knows. Is he going to change his mind? Is he not? Is something going to happen to help him one way or the other? I’ve no idea.”
Warrington also responded to Tobi Bakare’s previous comments regarding the show’s potential future without Selwyn in the cast. “Don is an integral part of the show, Bakare stated, “but I always say this show has this very unique way of surviving…they’ve tapped into a formula that they can constantly work around…so I think it can definitely survive.”
“Well, I don’t think so,” said Warrington, with smile. “Toby is entitled to his opinion, but I’ll ring him up later and talk to him about what he said.”
Death in Paradise’s Catherine (Élizabeth Bourgine) celebrates Selwyn Patterson’s (Don Warrington) reinstatement. Red Planet Pictures, Philippe Virapin
In a separate interview with RadioTimes.com and other press, Don Gilet (DI Mervin Wilson) said it’s “a very interesting thing” to think that “the beating heart of this whole thing… may not be there anymore”.
“Because I suppose, in terms of family, he’s the closest thing Mervin’s had to a father figure. And just when he’s starting to embrace what Saint Marie has to offer — and that he is now part of it — the guy that’s sort of been behind keeping him there, and that understands him, may not be around anymore.
“Are we ever going to see him again? And what’s this place going to be like without him? And can Mervin cope with that pressure, because I just think he needs somebody there that’s grounded, and is going to ground him.
“So it’s a strange one to think about him not being there. It’s something that the characters have to embrace.”
But while Selwyn is still very much retired, the rest of Saint Marie PD are hard at work in the upcoming festive episode.
Don Gilet and Don Warrington star in Death in Paradise season 14 BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin
“The office Christmas party of a lifetime takes a dark turn when four co-workers wake up to find a stranger dead in the pool of their Caribbean villa,” reads the official synopsis.
“DI Mervin Wilson and the team identify the murder weapon, but they’re left baffled when they find that it was locked in a drawer when the murder took place… thousands of miles away from the crime scene, in Swindon!
“Stuck in Saint Marie, the team calls on the help of a familiar face to crack the case…”
Mervin is once again forced to juggle the professional with the personal while he “anxiously waits to hear back from his newly discovered brother, which prevents him from embracing Saint Marie’s Christmas celebrations”.
“Can Mervin resolve his family situation and get into the festive spirit – for the sake of his team and the island?”
Alongside Don Gilet as the DI, the special features Shantol Jackson (Naomi Thomas) Élizabeth Bourgine (Catherine Bordey), Ginny Holder (Darlene Curtis) and Shaquille Ali-Yebuah (Sebastian Rose).
Guest stars include Josie Lawrence (EastEnders), Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead, Sanditon) Pearl Mackie (Doctor Who, The Diplomat), James Baxter (Waterloo Road, Still Open All Hours, Emmerdale), Billy Harris (Ted Lasso) and Alix Serman.
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The Death in Paradise Christmas special will air on 28th December at 8:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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