Death in Paradise 2021 Christmas special: Release date, cast, trailer and latest news

A number of our favourite faces including Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, Élizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey and Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker will be appearing on our screen. Fans will also be thrilled to hear that Danny John-Jules is returning as the one and only officer Dwayne Myers.

Speaking about what to expect from the festive special, Warrington recently told HELLO!: "It's our first one, it's very nice, it's a lovely thing to do. It's like making a film, because it's 90-minutes so you get more time for it, and it's more about how we want to spend Christmas together, so I thought it was very exciting.

"It was great, it was really, really fun. It has some responsibility like, 'Okay there has been a decade of fans loving it so let's give something more to them,' so we really got our teeth into it, and hopefully the audience responds. And getting Danny John-Jules back was pretty good too!"

"It's brilliant, it's a Death in Paradise classic really," Ralf added. "Someone is found dead, and we have to get to the bottom of it - but there are added dimensions, we have more time for character development and interplay between ourselves… We have time for it to be more layered, and you feel the consequences of the story.

"Sometimes on [the show] it's like, 'This is the murderer, arrest the murderer,' but this time you see how it plays out. Apart from that, a body turns up, it can't possibly be what it looks like, and we spent 90 minutes working out why."

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Death in Paradise 2021 Christmas special, which will celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary, including its release date, cast and latest news.

Death in Paradise 2021 Christmas special release date

Death in Paradise Christmas special will air on Boxing Day at 7.30pm on BBC One, it has now been confirmed.

The special should keep us happy until the show returns for its 11th season in 2022.

The makers recently revealed that they’ve been planning to make a Yuletide mystery on the Caribbean island for ages.

“We’ve been talking about a Death in Paradise Christmas episode for years so we’re beyond excited to be finally making one and to be working with Danny again”, said Tim Key, executive producer for Red Planet Pictures. “We can’t think of a better place to spend Christmas than in Saint Marie – it’s still part of our tenth anniversary year after all!”

“We’re so excited to be spending our first ever Christmas in Saint Marie. We are delighted that Death in Paradise will be bringing the sunshine to the festive schedule on BBC One,” added Tommy Bulfin, Commissioning Editor for BBC Drama.

Death in Paradise 2021 Christmas special plot

The Christmas special follows on from the Death in Paradise series 10 cliffhanger and, with Florence taking off for Christmas, “the Commissioner decides to enlist the help of retired officer Dwayne Myers".

The official BBC synopsis reads: "It’s Christmas time on Saint Marie and Neville is preparing to head to Manchester to spend the holiday with his family. But his plans are abruptly changed when a billionaire shipping magnate dies in mysterious circumstances.

"Things only get stranger when a minicab driver in London receives a Christmas card with an ominous message inside that turns the entire case on its head. For Neville and the team, will this be a case they can crack together?

"Following the series 10 cliff-hanger that left everybody swinging in suspense, Florence is jetting off for Christmas, leaving the team a member down. So, the Commissioner decides to enlist the help of retired officer Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules). Alongside Marlon, Dwayne employs his unique style of policing to help investigate the case.

"Left to their own devices, the pair struggle on the best plan of action for apprehending a suspect. As rain falls, tensions rise - but as Christmas Day approaches, will they realise they’re more like one another than they originally thought?"

Talking about the potential romance between his character and Sergeant Cassell, Ralf Little recently teased further developments in upcoming episodes.

"The reason that the people are invested in those characters is that they're well written, and Josie [Jobert] is a fantastic performer. Just charming and lovely and I think we work well together," he told HELLO!.

"People are invested in those characters and they want to see how it plays out. I think this series, our character interplay is more and more developed and the narrative between characters plays out really well which involves all of us so hopefully people will love it."

Death in Paradise 2021 Christmas special cast

The festive special boasts a host of guest stars alongside the familiar faces of Saint Marie.

Actor Danny John-Jules will reprise his role as charming officer Dwayne Myers alongside the regular cast of Ralf Little, Tahj Miles, Joséphine Jobert, Don Warrington and Elizabeth Bourgine.

Ralf Little recently revealed the return of Danny John-Jules for the festive episode on the show’s official Twitter account.

John-Jules said in a statement: “It’s always a pleasure going back to the Caribbean. And after four years away, fitting back into the fold should be seamless as I know all the new leading cast members already. I look forward to bringing Dwayne and this 10th-anniversary special script to life.”

In addition to John-Jules, the guest cast lined up for the special includes Mathew Baynton (Ghosts), Stanley Townsend (Informer), Juliet Stevenson (Riviera), Jocelyn Jee Esien (Jack & The Beanstalk: After Ever After), Anthony Calf (Poldark), Elizabeth Tan (Emily in Paris), Tessa Bonham Jones (The Trial of Christine Keeler) and Tariq Jordan (Law and Order: UK), and many more.

When will a trailer be released?

Sadly, a trailer is yet to be released, but fans can expect to see one sometime in December.

Death in Paradise 2021 Christmas special will air on Boxing Day at 7.30pm on BBC One, though an exact date is yet to be confirmed - check out the full Death in Paradise cast here. Find out what’s on tonight with our TV Guide. Visit our Drama hub for all the latest news.