Death In Paradise star Ralf Little, 39, will take on the role as Detective Inspector Neville Parker, in the BBC series. The actor previously opened up about the death of his oldest sister following a tragic accident in his childhood.
Ralf discussed the incident in an unearthed interview, where he revealed his sister Ceridwen had fallen off a cliff and died.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2018, The Royal Family star admitted it was something that he is still processing.
He told the publication: “I look back now and realise it was more a part of my life than I thought it was.
“Every now and again certain things I hear shock me. Ceri fell in the afternoon. This is before mobile phones, right? So we were there with my grandparents and my parents got a phone call from Exeter hospital saying your daughter has fallen off a cliff, she’s in intensive care.
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“And they got in a car and drove to Exeter. I mean, what’s that, a 10-hour drive? With no mobile phones, stopping off at service stations, calling the hospital.”
According to the publication, Ralf and his two older sisters were camping in Cornwall with their maternal grandparents when the accident happened.
The actor said his sister remained alive in intensive care for a little while but eventually the machine was turned off.
He continued: “At first, when it happened, because they [my parents] were in such a rush and it was such a blurry message, they didn’t know which daughter it was.
“I’m an atheist and I don’t believe in heaven and hell, but if you wanted me to define hell, it’s that drive down. That 10 to 11 hours of not knowing.”
Ralf finished: “I can’t even bear to think about it. She stayed alive in intensive care for a little while but by the time they arrived, my grandad had made the decision to turn the machine off.”
Elsewhere, the actor will be taking on a new role as DI Neville Parker, a Manchester detective dispatched to the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie when a woman from his home city is murdered.
Speaking about his new gig, the former Two Pints of Lager and A Packet of Crisps star, admitted he couldn’t turn down the opportunity.
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“It took less than 0.005 seconds to say yes to playing the new DI! How could I not?” Ralf explained to Radio Times.
He will be replacing Detective Jack Mooney played by Ardal O’Hanlon in the new series.
Ralf told the same publication: “Ardal has been wonderful in the last few series and to follow in his footsteps in a place as idyllic as Guadeloupe was a great honour and a dream come true.
“It is a joy to play Neville and I can’t wait for viewers to see him in Paradise this series.”
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Meanwhile, Ardal has recently spoken out about his decision to leave Death In Paradise and explained there was “nowhere else for his character to go”.
“There’s never just one specific reason but I feel like I overstayed my welcome and it was four summers of my life spent away from my family, they need me,” he told Metro.co.uk.
“I feel like you can get too much of a good thing, and I think this is the kind of show that traditionally has always changed the lead because it is a very demanding job and you are away from home for huge periods of time.”
Death In Paradise airs tonight on BBC One at 9pm.
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