Death in Paradise star Ben Miller has revealed who he thinks should step into Ralf Little’s shoes after he bowed out of the BBC show after four years.
Since his departure, many names have been thrown into the hat as to who should be the next lead in the series – including Diane Morgan, Simon Bird, Matthew Horne and Miranda Hart.
Miller portrayed DI Richard Poole during series one to three, but his character was killed off in 2014, dashing hopes of ever returning to the BBC drama - although he did make a brief cameo in an hallucination sequence a few series back.
When asked who he thought would be a good fit for the island of Saint Marie, he told Radio Times: “Oh my God, there are so many people who’d be brilliant. Toby Jones, that’s who I’d like to see.”
Jones has starred in several big-name films such as Captain America: The First Avenger, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
However, his most recent role saw him captivate ITV audiences in Mr Bates vs The Post Office which told the dramatic story of the Horizon and Post Office scandal.
Ben Miller described Toby Jones as being a "brilliant" option for the new detective in Death in Paradise
ITV
It saw hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system – destroying many of their lives.
In addition to Jones, Miller also suggested that it might be time for a female lead to star on the show and noted: “I could definitely see that, 100 per cent.
“I think that’d be good too. If we’re playing fantasy detectives. Miranda Hart.”
After Life star Diane Morgan was previously the front runner to take over from the role, but now Inbetweeners star Simon Bird is bookmakers’ favourite.
Ralf Little stepped down from his role of DI Neville Parker after four years
BBC
According to Betfred, Bird has odds of 7/4 alongside Gavin and Stacey star Matthew Horne, with Betfred’s Kayley Cornelius noting: "Simon Bird still remains the frontrunner to replace Ralf Little.
“However, we have witnessed a sharp boost in odds for Diane Morgan and Matthew Horne as they now both closely follow behind Simon so it could be a tight call for who could be the next Neville Parker!"
When Little’s final scenes aired he immediately took to his social media and told his fans: “My time on Saint Marie has come to an end – what an end!
“New adventures await Neville, and he got to sail away into the sunset with his best friend. Who knows what happens for them next!”
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Ben Miller discuses who he backs as the next Death in Paradise lead
BBC/ITV
He continued: “It's been one of the most magical and profound experiences of my entire life. The team that makes Death in Paradise – the producers, writers, directors, crew, guest cast.
“And my magnificent co-stars – they know what they're doing, and the future is in good hands. I can't wait to see what happens next. It's been the ride of a lifetime.”
