How is Sara Martins returning to Death in Paradise as Camille?

Read on for everything we know about the return of Camille.

Who is DS Camille Bordey?

DS Camille Bordey was an original character way back in Death in Paradise series one, working alongside DI Richard Poole (Ben Miller) and later DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall).

A former undercover officer whose cover was blown, things got off to a rocky start between Camille and new boss Richard, but the pair soon became friends, with sparks flying between them, and later between Camille and Humphrey, too. Camille left the series at the end of series four.

Why did Camille leave Saint Marie?

DS Camille Bordey left at the end of series four after learning that she'd been assigned an undercover job in Paris, France.

She left DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) with a parting kiss as she left the island, following their long-running will-they-won't-they relationship.

Why did Sara Martins leave Death in Paradise?

At the time of her departure in series four, Sara Martins told WhatsOnTV that she found the decision to quit the show "tremendously hard".

“Yes [quitting was] tremendously hard. I’ve loved everything about the show," she said. "But the only way to grow in life is to take risks, even if it means losing something you love, or leaving a place that’s comfortable. You should always go forward and take new challenges. The unknown is so seducing, although it’s scary!”

However, she revealed that there was always the possibility of her character returning.

She said: “We wanted to make the best exit, and they didn’t want to kill me off – there was no reason to. It was perfect for me because I wanted to say goodbye to Camille and the audience. And who knows, there’s always the possibility I can come back!”

Why is Camille back?

The end of episode five – the first part in Death in Paradise's double bill – took us to France, where Camille answered a surprise phone call from Commissioner Patterson (Don Warrington).

The Commissioner had some very bad news to share: Camille's mother Catherine Bordey (Élizabeth Bourgine) had been the victim of an attempted murder, with the criminal attempting to strange her in her home – and she had been taken to hospital unconscious.

"What? Is maman alright?" Camille asked. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Now, in episode six, she will return to Saint Marie to be with her mother – and to help solve the case.

Executive producer Tim Key tells RadioTimes.com: "Quite early on, we thought we’d love to get Camille back over. I knew that Sara would – she always said that she’d be up for a sort of one-off return, a special episode type thing, but going back full-time wouldn’t work for her.

"So we thought: what if we saw her again? That would be a nice thing, to have Sara back for an episode. What would bring her back? Quite quickly, you go: 'Well, if something happened to Catherine, that would bring her back.' And it felt like the right thing to do. It felt like a really plausible way."

As for the question of whether Catherine will survive, Élizabeth Bourgine responded to a scary Death in Paradise trailer with the cryptic words: "Catherine is a strong woman... She will always make her way."

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

Is Camille back for good?

It looks like Camille will only return for the upcoming Death in Paradise double bill, which will additionally see the high-profile cameo return of Ben Miller as original detective DI Richard Poole (Camille's former sergeant).

Poole was killed off in Death and Paradise, and it's not yet known how Ben Miller is returning to Death in Paradise - although a flashback or dream sequence seems most plausible.

The Death in Paradise double bill continues with episode six on Friday 5th February at 9pm on BBC One. Check out what else is on with our TV guide.