There was UNFINISHED BUSINESS'

Original cast members Sara Martins and Ben Miller tell TV Times about their unexpected reunion in Saint Marie

- STEVEN PERKINS

Don’t worry, you haven’t accidentally picked up a copy of TV Times from 2011. It really is Death in Paradise’s original crime cracker DI Richard Poole and his sidekick DS Camille Bordey – played by Ben Miller and Sara Martins – back on the sun-soaked (fictional) island of Saint Marie.

It’s a reunion that fans of the hit BBC1 crime drama never expected to see – given that Richard was murdered with an ice pick at the beginning of series three!

But, as part of the show’s 10thanniversary celebrations, Sara – who was last seen in series four – will guest star in a special, and very dramatic, two-part story this week, with Ben making a much-anticipated cameo.

Here, in an exclusive interview, stars Ben, 54, and Sara, 43, tell TV Times more…

Was it a shock for you to be asked to return?

SARA: Well, Camille wasn’t dead like Ben’s character, so the possibility of going back was always in my head. I stayed on really good terms with Tim Key, the producer, and usually, when he is in Paris, we have a coffee. But this time, he announced he had something he wanted to ask me. So I said, ‘I think I have an idea of what you are going to say, and my answer is, “Yes!”’

BEN: I got a call from Tim asking if I wanted to go for a drink, and I thought, ‘This is probably something to do with Death in Paradise,’ but I had no idea what he was going to ask! He said, ‘It’s the 10th anniversary, how do you feel about coming back?’ I answered, ‘Well, I’m dead, aren’t I?’ And he replied, ‘I think I may have a way around that…’