Death In Paradise star Don Gilet’s glamorous off-camera life with actress ex & celeb pals as EastEnders star joins show
DEATH In Paradise looks set to welcome a new detective to Saint Marie in the form of actor Don Gilet.
The EastEnders star has been unveiled as the replacement for actor Ralf Little on the hit BBC crime series.
The 57-year-old is best known for playing serial killer preacher Lucas Johnson in Walford.
Don will play Detective Inspector Mervin WiIson who arrives in Saint Marie from London.
The actor will be introduced onscreen to fans during Death in Paradise‘s Christmas special this year before the 14th series kicks off in 2025.
Away from the screen, Don lives a rather glamorous lifestyle with celebrity pals and a few notable love interests to match.
Hollywood Power
Even though he is a regular on the TV screen, Don has enjoyed an impressive performance in a major Hollywood film.
The star acted alongside Jason Statham in the action thriller The Beekeeper.
He was forced to adopt an American accent for his role as Deputy Director Prigg in the cinema hit.
The Beekeeper follows a mans campaign for vengeance after it is exposed that he is a former operative of a powerful organisation, named the Beekeepers.
Celebrity Pals
Most TV watchers will know Don for his role as murdering baddie Lucas Johnson in EastEnders.
During his time on the soap, despite terrorising his on-screen wife Denise Fox, he and actress Diane Parish built up a long-standing friendship.
They worked together on Babyfather before the Walford-based soap with the pair still in regular touch to this day.
Fans even saw them reunited on-screen earlier this year when she visited him in prison.
TV Success
With Death in Paradise looking like his next big major show, it is safe to say it certainly isn’t the first time that he has made his mark on British TV.
He played the leading role of Detective Sergeant Nicky Cole in BBC show 55 Degrees North between 2004 and 2005.
He also appeared in popular Doctor Who episode The Runaway Bride alongside Catherine Tate and David Tennant.
However, you’d be forgiven for not quite remembering his TV debut – he first appeared on screen in a 1998 episode of dating show Streetmate where he was interviewed for a pal looking to find love on the programme.
Keeping it low-key
Don has been notoriously private when it comes to his relationships and his personal life.
He was formerly married to actress Tracy Whitwell with whom he shares a son, Flynn, but the pair were rarely pictured together.
They lived together in Bedfordshire but they have since gone their separate ways.
In recent time he has been linked to Happy Valley and Benidorm star Siobhan Finneran after they were spotted holding hands, however, neither of them have confirmed a romance.
Timeline of Death In Paradise Detectives
Death In Paradise started in 2011 and has welcomed four detectives so far to the island.
These are all of the actors who have played the lead detective in the hit BBC series so far:
Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole – Actor Ben played the first ever detective from seasons 1 to 2, and then returned as a guest star in the third and tenth series.
Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman. Next up My Family star took on the role for three years from series 3 to 6.
Ardal O’Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney. Father Ted star Ardal was a fan favourite and was the detective for three seasons from series 6 to 9.
Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker. The actor started in 2019 and is the longest-running star to have the detective role. He was on the show for four seasons from 9 to 13.