Death in Paradise's Ben Miller was 'worried' over season 10 cameo

Ben Miller delighted Death in Paradise fans earlier this year with a return as DI Richard Poole, despite being killed off back in season 3.

Returning as a figment of Camille Bordey's (Sara Martins) imagination to offer some words of encouragement, Miller has admitted he did have hesitations about the season 10 cameo.

"You worry that it was just about that moment and that time, and that time is gone," he told Hello! "But to be back acting in scenes, it was just like we'd never left.

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ben miller as di richard poole, death in paradise

BBC

"It was a bit like your school reunion when you all slip back into the same sort of roles. You will find yourself, your family, your friends all doing exactly the same thing. All behaving in exactly the same way and it was amazing.

"It was great. And the scene was really, really beautifully written and handled so well."

He added of on-set reunions: "What was really, really wonderful was seeing Sara Martins again. I do see Sara occasionally, she's sometimes in London, and sometimes in Paris, but obviously not for the last couple of years.

BBC

"There's a few members of the cast who I keep in touch with. Danny John Jules is another one. What was great was, there was always something very, very special about we played those parts as Richard and Camille."

As for whether he'd be up for another return, Miller said: "I don't know, you just never know if I could come back from the dead. In Death in Paradise, I definitely got killed with a nice big ice pick in the chest. But you never know what's gonna happen."

BBC

Speaking earlier this year about how they managed to get Miller to return to the role, executive producer Tim Key and Death in Paradise creator Robert Thorogood admitted it took a while to figure out a way to bring him back.

Recalling that they considered a series of flashbacks, they eventually settled on DI Poole as a ghost "just there in [Camille's] head" – though at one point thought they'd have to cut it due to the pandemic.

"All of us were determined to try to make it happen," Key said. "And so was Ben. I thought Ben might just go, 'Nah, it's too much. I can't do it.' But Ben really wanted to do it. He was so up for it."

Death in Paradise airs on BBC One.

Death in Paradise

BBC Death In Paradise - Series 11 [DVD] [2022]

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BBC Death In Paradise - Series 10 (Includes 4 Exclusive Postcards) [DVD] [2021]

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2 Entertain Death In Paradise - Series 9 (Includes 6 Exclusive Postcards) [DVD] [2019]

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Sam Warner

Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.