Death in Paradise fans are saying the same thing about Don Gilet’s debut

Don Gilet has made his debut as DI Mervin Wilson. Premiering on Sunday night, fans tuned into the Death in Paradise Christmas special, which featured a festive murder. After jetting to the sunny shores of Saint Marie, Mervin tackled a perplexing case, which involved the deaths of three men dressed like Santa. 

Kicking off the episode, a disgruntled Mervin was boarding his flight to London, when his boss ordered him to leave the plane and assist Commissioner Selwyn Patterson with the case. 

After launching an investigation, getting off to a rough start with the team, and being suspected of murder, Mervin managed to prove his innocence and identify the culprit, thus beginning his stint as the island’s fifth detective. For those wondering, Don will reprise his role in season 14, which is expected to return in early 2025 – but what’s the verdict on his big debut?

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Taking to X (formerly Twitter), fans were certainly impressed by Don’s portrayal. “Don Gilet is stealing the show with his electrifying performance! Who else is on the edge of their seat watching him in action?” wrote one. 

“Need to see more of the new DI Mervin portrayed by Don Gilet,” agreed a second. “I love this time of year, not because it’s Christmas but because Death in Paradise is back and Don Gilet is a perfect fit,” raved a third. 

© BBC / Lou Denim

Ahead of the episode, Don, who has appeared in EastEnders and Shetland, spoke about his role. Detailing his “exciting and terrifying” journey on the BBC drama, the 57-year-old said: “I liken it to one of those scary rides at a theme park. I’m going on it, and I know it’s going to be scary, but I’m going to do it. 

“You’re daring yourself. Then you sit in the seat going, ‘What have I just let myself in for?’. But it was exciting because I knew I was embarking on this new journey.” 

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Don’s introduction on the show followed the departure of Ralf Little, who was written out in the series 13 finale. 

While he was nervous to replace fan favourite Ralf, Don “felt this great sense of relief” after landing the part, as “it was a great reminder to me that, yeah, you can still do this. It felt like a little personal air-punch-without-anyone-looking moment.”

A fun shoot for Don, the TV star has admitted that it was way more “intense” than he could have imagined. “It’s intense because you’ve got that heat from the start to the end of the day. It does get to a point where you are used to it, but it takes that extra layer of concentration,” he said.  

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“You can’t turn the temperature down, but it’s a beautiful backdrop to shoot against. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself and go look at where you are and what you’re doing. It’s a beautiful place. I haven’t had much of a chance to venture out to see just how beautiful it is yet. Once you get used to the temperature, it’s a great job.”