Beyond Paradise: Who was Zoe's dad and what happened to him as Esther relives tragic past and real reason for rejecting Archie
It's the reason she pushed Archie away
Beyond Paradise favourite Esther Williams reveals the real reason she pushed Archie away, and it’s all because she was left heartbroken by Zoe’s dad.
In this week’s episode (Friday, April 17, 2026), Esther and Martha have a heart to heart where Humphrey’s police partner opens up about the tragic past that’s left her unable to move on.
In moving scenes down the pub, the girls end up talking about Humphrey, who they admit is equally as “infuriating” and “amazing” at the same time. And the chat eventually leads to Archie, and Esther’s own love life (or lack of).
And there’s a devastating reason why Esther broke off her blossoming relationship with Archie in the previous series. Here’s the truth about what happened to Zoe’s dad as Beyond Paradise revisits Esther’s previous relationship.
Who was Zoe’s dad in Beyond Paradise?
Esther Williams’ teenage daughter Zoe first appeared in Shipton Abbott in the first ever Christmas Special in 2023. Played by Melina Sinadinou, a big part of her character is her regret at having never met her dad. Because of this, she bonds with Martha, who also misses her dad.
Zoe longs for a father figure, and she and Esther ultimately bond over this shared history. But Zoe’s dad has never appeared in Beyond Paradise, and there’s a very sad reason.
We know that 17-year-old Esther’s fling with another teenager turned into something more serious after she discovered she was pregnant. The pair subsequently fell in love in the months leading up to Zoe’s birth. But tragically they were torn apart.
What happened to Zoe’s dad in Beyond Paradise?
In 2024’s series 2 of the Death in Paradise spin-off, DS Esther Williams revealed the heartbreaking truth about her daughter Zoe and her relationship with her father.
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Tragically, Zoe’s “lovely” dad never met his daughter. He’d actually died in a car accident on the way to the hospital.
Viewers saw Esther conflicted when she discovered that her daughter Zoe had a new tattoo in memory of her dad. And it wasn’t just because of Zoe’s young age. In fact, it was the design that left Esther facing a gut-wrenching moral dilemma. Explaining the design to her mum, she said: “Three little birds, the song dad sang to me when I was born.”
However, Esther subsequently revealed to Martha that she LIED about the sweet lullaby memory. She told Martha: “The truth is it’s not even about the tattoo. It’s more than that.”
Esther told a white lie to her daughter, making up the story about Zoe’s father singing ‘Three Little Birds’ to her. She said: “Zoe was really struggling with not having a dad, not having any memories of him. It’s a stupid spur of the moment [lie] I know that. But my daughter was hurting. She was looking for something, anything, to make him real. So I lied to her.”
Esther later went on to have a matching tattoo design with her daughter in a bid to be close to her and honour Zoe’s dad. She told Zoe: “Three little birds. You, me and dad.”
Why did Esther break up with Archie?
Esther is – how shall we put it delicately? – emotionally constipated. But she’s clearly afraid of being hurt. This week, talking to Martha, she admits it’s the reason she pushed Archie away in the previous series. In fact, it sounds very much like she is still in love with Zoe’s dad.
She says: “Archie was a thing, and then it wasn’t.” When Martha encourages her to “open up and let someone in”, she replies: “The thing is, Zoe’s dad is still here. He smiles at me every day, the second Zoe walks into the room. So whoever I am with, I end up hating them for not being him. Archie never stood a chance.”
Of course, viewers know that Archie has now moved on with Amelia. But it’s obvious that he and Esther are still crazy about each other.
Talking about her character ahead of the current series 4, actress Zahra Ahmadi said: “She needs to quit with this. It’s not serving her. It is now at a point for Esther where it’s really unhealthy… This absolute refusal towards vulnerability and this essential need to be stoic all the time. It’s beyond tedious and it’s actually not doing her any good.”
However there’s a good reason why Esther is so closed off, after her difficult past. Zahra continued: “I think we have to remember that she became a mum at such a young age, perhaps she hadn’t quite finished that emotional maturity.
“I would really, really like for Esther to fully experience love and I don’t necessarily mean romantic love. There is a huge amount of protection in the way that she operates on a day-to-day basis. And I understand that coming from her job, but it’s also very much informed by her history, the loss of Zoe’s dad.”
Read more: Who was Lionel Lepage in Death in Paradise? BBC One honours him in touching end-of-credits tribute
