Beyond Paradise must uncover Kelby's story when it returns for season 3

Whether this paves the way for a romance between the pair in the third outing remains to be seen, but the daft, lovable Kelby has been somewhat overlooked so far as a character in his own right.

The series dedicated its second run to Humphrey and Martha's fostering journey, while also exploring the lives of some of its supporting cast.

Martha's widowed mum Anne (Barbara Flynn) delved into internet dating, only to be hurt when Richard (Peter Davison) turned out to be a married man.

And DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) also revealed her secret grief for teenage daughter Zoe's late father – having lied to Zoe (Melina Sinadinou) that he passed away after her birth, rather than just before.

We even met Margo Martins's ex-husband Jamie (Danny Webb) and clocked that there was still a strong connection between the pair, although the station's support officer (Felicity Montagu) did reaffirm her belief that she was better off without him.

Meanwhile, Kelby's backstory is still a mystery.

The only thing we know so far about his family arrived courtesy of a local woman he interviewed, who rudely enquired whether his mother was still with "that waste of space with the motorbike", aka Kelby's father.

Shipton Abbott is a close-knit place where everyone knows everyone, so why haven't his parents made an appearance?

As well as swooning over the chief super, Kelby spent much of this season worrying about the future of the station house and striving to maintain his place on the team by impressing Humphrey.

And he did just that in the finale, when his efforts to solve the assault on Charlie's grandmother ultimately helped save the community's police hub.

But going forward, we need more from the character.

There's so much we don't know about him, and how long can we watch him chase after criminals and be teased by his colleagues without a glimpse of his home life and what drives him?

The heartfelt moments captured in Anne's longing for a companion, Esther's loss and even Zoe's mistake in inviting friends to Martha's restaurant after hours allow us to understand them all on a deeper level. This is what we're lacking with Kelby.

There's a naivety within the character, yet at the same time he's a competent professional who would be sorely missed if no longer around.

That's as complex and intriguing as any other beloved character description, and offers plenty of room to turn Kelby into a multi-dimensional figure, rather than a mere extension of the police team.

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There doesn't necessarily need to be tragedy or trauma in his history – one gets the sense that Kelby is an ordinary lad with an ordinary life, but we still want to be let in on it.

Whether a love story with the top boss, exploring his relationships outside the force or placing Kelby at the forefront of a case on a larger scale than last season's missing painting, he needs to be taken off the sidelines, and there's no better man for the job than Dylan Llewellyn.

He made us laugh as the put-upon James in Channel 4's Derry Girls and moved us to tears with that emotional coming out scene in Big Boys, so there's huge potential for him to bring Kelby out of his shell and explore a side of the character that's removed from the police station.

When Beyond Paradise returns next year, here's hoping Kelby is placed firmly in the spotlight at last.

Beyond Paradise seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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