I went mad, screamed and ripped my clothes off filming Death in Paradise – I totally lost my mind on the BBC set

A FORMER Death In Paradise star has spoken out about the time they 'went mad' and 'ripped off their clothes' on set after dealing with the scorching temperatures on the BBC drama’s exotic location.

Ben Miller, who played the lead role of DI Richard Poole for two seasons, revealed that he had a tough time filming the detective series. 

The actor’s character met an untimely end at the start of series three after he was murdered. 

The beloved series is set on the fictional island of Saint Marie and filmed on the French archipelago of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles, where temperature can reach up to 28.7 °C in the summer. 

With season thirteen of Death in Paradise only days away, Ben has opened up about the challenges he faced whilst filming for the BBC series. 

He explained to: "Between takes, I had to go and sit in a car, close the windows and put the air conditioning on full blast for ten minutes before I could go back. On one occasion, I was so hot that I totally lost my mind.

"We were filming on the beach, and I overheated, went mad, started screaming, ripped off all my clothes and ran into the sea. 

“I can’t really believe it happened now, but it just seemed like the only answer at the time.”

As the years rolled out, detectives who came after DI Richard dressed in clothing better suited to the high temperatures rather than donning traditional suits as he did. 

However, despite the troubles he faced with the wardrobe choices he was given, the star made a cameo in 2021 and marked the show’s 10th anniversary as a figment of DS Camille Bordey's imagination. 

In 2023, Ben addressed his feelings about the character, saying: "I've loved every character that I've played. I really miss Richard Poole from Death in Paradise."

"He's a wonderful, wonderful character. And inevitably, there's a sort of sadness in me that I'm not going to get to play him again. You miss them."

"It's been so successful, so popular for over 10 seasons now. And it's a world we want to explore a little more, isn't it?

"I think people really underestimate how hard it is to write and create Paradise because it's such an easy watch”. 

He added: "You think it would be maybe easy to make, but it's not.”

Since he departed from the show, several actors have stepped in and replaced him as the lead detective. 

From 2014 to 2017, he was replaced by Kris Marshall, who played DI Humphrey Goodman for four seasons.

Last year, Kris reprised his role in the successful spin-off show Beyond Paradise.

After his exit from the Death in Paradise series, Ardal O'Hanlon replaced him as DI Jack Mooney and stayed with the show for eight years, leaving in 2020

Since then, Two Pints of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps legend Ralph Little has taken his place and played the lead role of DI Neville Parker.

Season thirteen of the BBC series begins on Sunday, and fans have complained about the show’s new schedule, asking why the Ralf Little drama is being aired on Sunday instead of its usual Friday slot. 

Death in Paradise returns on Sunday, February 4, at 9pm.