Death in Paradise fans despair over departure of key character

Fans called character ‘heart and soul’ of the show

Death in Paradise viewers were left in tears after the BBC show aired the shock exit of a series regular who has been called the “heart and soul” of the show.

*Warning: spoilers for the latest episode of Death in Paradise follow*

Officer Marlon Pryce (played by Tahj Miles), who has been on the show for several years, became a fan-favourite fixture as he went from a reformed petty thief to an accomplished officer.

The series, which is set in the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, focuses on British DI Neville Parker and a team of police solving murder mysteries that continue to shake the island.

During Sunday’s episode (3 March), Marlon delivered the news that he would be leaving the island to accompany his younger sister Jocelyn (Miai Leonie Phillip) to Kingston, Jamaica, where she had won a scholarship.

Fans have been saying that Marlon’s departure came “too soon”, since he had become instrumental in cracking the weekly murder mysteries on the island, and was still in the apparent early stages of his storyline.

“I don’t want Marlon to leave,” wrote one fan on X/Twitter, as another asked: “How many of you crying at Marlon leaving?”

Officer Marlon Pryce (BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Red Planet Pictures)

They added: “Someone convince Marlon to stay!”

Another fan chimed: “I don’t want to say goodbye to Marlon…easily been one of the top characters on the entire show! Shall miss him dearly.”

Officer Pryce and his sister Jocelyn (BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Red Planet Pictures)

Marlon made his debut as a teenage delinquent who stole Sergeant JP Hooper’s (Tobi Bakare) police badge before being captured. Instead of locking him up, the commissioner recruited Marlon on the Youth Offenders Police scheme and he later reformed himself and progressed into a policing role.

At first, he was useless in his role but eventually became a key part of the mystery-solving police force.

Fans said it was heartwarming to see Marlon go from a lazy schoolboy to an experienced officer who would jump into action and apprehend one of the island’s many murderers.

One fan concluded at the end of the programme: “Can we take a minute to appreciate the great work that @TahjDMiles has done to turn Marlon into the heart and soul of the Saint Marie team.”

Death in Paradise airs at 9pm on BBC One every Sunday.