Death in Paradise series 15: Episode 5's guest cast includes Sanditon hero, and Magpie Murders detective
A cast member is poisoned during a performance of The Tempest
Death in Paradise series 15 continues this week, and episode 5 welcomes an amateur dramatics group to Saint Marie – heaving with some very familiar guest stars in the cast.
This Friday (February 27, 2026), a cast member is poisoned during a performance of The Tempest. He died after drinking from a bottle of red wine with a lethal quantity of cyanide in it… But the team are left confused as to how two other actors drank from the same bottle and emerged unscathed.
Meanwhile, Mervin is informed that his half-brother Solomon is set to inherit everything from their deceased mother. Furthermore, he won’t answer any calls.
Here’s who plays who in the guest cast list of Death in Paradise series 15 episode 5.
Tim McMullan plays Richard Dempster
London-born Tim McMullan, 63, joins the cast of Death in Paradise as amdram actor Richard Dempster. Which also makes him a suspect.
The actor has been in films, theatre and TV for more than 30 decades. He’s probably best known for playing Atticus Pünd in the BBC mystery dramas Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders. He’ll be back in series 3, entitled Marble Hall Murders, an adaptation of the Anthony Horowitz novel. It’s the final entry in the trilogy.
McMullan signed up to portray the character of Atticus Pünd after Timothy Spall pulled out of the production due to scheduling issues. And the rest is history!
Tim has been on our screens ever since 1993, when he first appeared as Donaldson in the TV movie Stalag Luft opposite Stephen Fry. Over his 30-year career, some of his most famous film roles have included Frees in Shakespeare in Love, Stephen Lamport in The Queen, and Charles McIntyre in Enola Holmes 2. This year, he portrayed Cyril in the period comedy Fackham Hall.
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Notable TV roles include Arthur Valentine in the TV series Foyle’s War, David Nolenn in Fearless, and Douglas Cartwright in The Serpent.
Does Tim McMullan have a condition that affects his eyes?
RADA-trained actor Tim McMullan suffers from BPES syndrome, a genetic condition that causes eyes to look smaller, and limits vision.
The distinct appearance of his eyes is caused by a rare genetic condition called blepharophimosis syndrome. The condition affects the eyelids, creating a characteristic look that sets him apart.
This is a congenital condition, usually present from birth. The condition affects an estimated 1 in 50,000 births across the world.
Death in Paradise series 15 episode 5 cast: Ben Lloyd-Hughes is Jez Gorman
London-born actor Ben Lloyd-Hughes is Jez Gorman in the cast of this week’s episode. The 37 year old is a crucial member of the amateur dramatics group that visits Saint Marie. And, like the other performers, this makes him a suspect.
Period drama fans will know Ben Lloyd-Hughes for playing romantic hero Alexander Colbourne in the cast of Sanditon, a role he played in series 2 and 3, between 2022 and 2023. The series was based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel.
He’s been on our screens since 2005, when he made his very first TV performance in the Tamsin Greig comedy Love Soup. After that, he went on to appear in Skins, Roman Mysteries, Personal Affairs, and The Hour. In 2016, Ben portrayed Tsar Alexander in the glossy period drama War & Peace.
Other notable roles include James in The Ipcress File, Ben Gascoigne in This England, Mark Bolland in The Crown, and Allen Ginsberg in So Long, Marienne. More recently, he’s starred as Greg Grayson in Industry series 1 and 3, Jerome in The Agency, and Josh in The Next Level.
Last year, he portrayed Franz Muller QC in the Sheridan Smith drama I Fought the Law. Film fans will recognise Ben for this roles in Cillian Murphy Netflix film Steve, The Stranger in Our Bed, The King’s Daughter, and Me Before You. He famously played Will in the 2014 film Divergent, and its 2015 sequel Insurgent.
Ben Lloyd-Hughes two older brothers, actor Henry Lloyd-Hughes, and record executive Theo Lloyd-Hughes. Furthermore, Henry and Ben performed together in Miliband of Brothers, a satirical docu-drama centered around the 2010 Labour leadership election.
In real life, the actor is married to Humans actress Emily Berrington.
Samuel Edward-Cook stars as Michael Farrer
York-born Samuel Edward-Cook, 35, stars as the ill-fated actor Michael Farrer who dies by poisoning in Death in Paradise series 15’s fifth episode.
You might recognise the actor as Danny Whizz-Bang in Peaky Blinders, Dougie in Brief Encounters, or Isaac Hartley in the Michael Socha period drama The Gallows Pole.
Samuel first appeared on our screens as Walter Storey in four episodes of period drama Land Girls in 2011. He went on to win roles in Peaky Blinders, which was his second ever TV appearance (not bad going!). After smaller roles in Doctors, and Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, he portrayed Jason in five episodes of Emmerdale in 2017. Jason was in prison at the same time as Aaron Dingle, and bullied him because of his sexuality.
In 2018, Samuel starred as DC Steve Beckton in the Katherine Kelly crime drama Innocent, before going on to play Ceri Davies in the one and only series of Better. His last TV role was portraying Damian in The Listeners. He’s also been in multiple films, including William Tell, Between the Lights, and Antigone at the Barbican.
Death in Paradise series 15 episode 5 cast: Phoebe Sparrow plays Anya Chambers
Actress Phoebe Sparrow, who plays Anya Chambers in Death in Paradise this week, is probably best known for playing a pretty nasty character in Downton Abbey!
Phoebe portrayed Amelia Cruikshank, later Amelia Grey, in the period drama in 2015, including that year’s Christmas special. She was known for being selfish, manipulative, and rude – undoubtedly a memorable character even though she only appeared in four episodes. Her interactions with Violet were 10/10.
The actress went on to appear in episodes of Inside No. 9, Baby Shower, Buffering, Royal Bastards: Rise of the Tudors, and Sister Boniface Mysteries.
In 2024, Phoebe portrayed Becki Sutton in the Paramount+ crime drama Curfew (which is currently airing on Channel 5). More recently, she’s played Karen Surtees in Dalgliesh, Gina in Malpractice series 2, and Vicky Stafford in Professor T. Lastly, film fans might known her for playing Adler in the 2020 film Dune Drifter, which was her first movie role.
Paul G Raymond portrays Nathan Burns
Saint Marie welcomes Paul G Raymond this week, who portrays Nathan Burns in the cast of Death in Paradise. He’s probably best known for his comedic roles in The Educatoror (not a typo!), the film Finding Fatimah, and the podcast series Sketchtopia.
Between 2021 and 2023, Paul played Greg in the comedy Buffering. He can do drama, too, having portrayed Malcolm in the hard-hitting Sarah Lancashire drama Kiri, Raj in One Day, and Kabir Dudani in Black Mirror.
Horrible Histories and Horrible Science fans will know him for his multiple roles in the comedy history series. He appeared between 2021 and 2025. He’s also popped up in small roles in films such as Deadpool & Wolverine, where he played a TVA Office Agent, and Wonka in which he portrayed a map seller. In 2022, he starred as Thaddeus in the film Plebs: Soldiers of Rome, a spin-off of the series.
Full cast list of Death in Paradise series 15 episode 5:
Don Gilet stars as DI Mervin Wilson.
Don Warrington is Commissioner Selwyn Patterson.
Shantol Jackson plays DS Naomi Thomas.
Shaquille Ali-Yebuah portrays Officer Sebastian Rose.
Catherine Garton returns as Sgt Mattie Fletcher.
Phoebe Sparrow plays Anya Chambers.
Samuel Edward-Cook stars as Michael Farrer.
Ben Lloyd-Hughes is Jez Gorman.
Paul G Raymond portrays Nathan Burns.
Tim McMullan plays Richard Dempster.
Death in Paradise detectives ranked (by superfan writer David Hollingsworth)
5. Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker
Sorry, Ralf but there's a strong argument that Neville outstayed his welcome on Saint Marie. Neville was the longest serving detective, joining in series 9 before finally leaving at the end of series 13. And it got to the point where the character was going around in circles.
With his long list of neuroses, Neville was probably the most gentle of the cops, and developed great relationships with all his team. However, the problem then became there wasn't much tension between the cops. Eventually Neville sailed off into the sunset with Florence at the end of series 13.
4. Ardal O'Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney
A few eyebrows were raised when Ardal O'Hanlon was cast as the lead detective. After all, could anyone imagine the man who played Father Ted's dimwitted Father Dougal solving anything?
However, Ardal was great as DI Jack Mooney. Jack is arguably the most complex of all the lead detectives. Struggling with the death of his wife, he heads to the Caribbean for a new start. He provided plenty of laughs, and Jack remains a popular character. So much so in fact that Ardal has reprised his role as Jack in Aussie spin off Return to Paradise.
3. Don Gilet as DI Mervin Wilson
Don Gilet joined the show as DI Mervin Wilson in the 2024 Christmas special and immediately made an impact. Ralf Little's tenure had rather run out of steam and the show needed a bit more of an edge.
Cue Mervin, who arrived on Saint Marie seemingly set on annoying everyone. Mervin hated everything about the island and even Naomi, who seems to like everyone, started to lose her temper with him. However, he comes with his own story, and there's a lot more of Mervin's story to tell.
2. Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman
The makers had a massive headache when Ben Miller revealed he wanted to quit the show. They knew that the wrong pick could doom the series. Luckily, they chose Kris Marshall, who proved brilliant as Humphrey.
Kris Marshall brought a lot of laughs to the show, particularly in Humphrey's relationship with his boss, Commissioner Selwyn Patterson. The Commissioner initially saw Humphrey as a bumbling buffoon. He was especially unimpressed when Humphrey bought a battered old boat in an attempt to join his swanky yacht club. However, the Commissioner eventually came to respect Humphrey for his crime-solving talent.
The writers also gave Humphrey a lovely romantic storyline with Martha (Sally Bretton). Indeed, the plot was so successful it became the foundation for spin-off Beyond Paradise.
1. Death in Paradise detectives ranked: Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole
The original and the best. Ben Miller was perfect as DI Richard Poole. The character was pompous, annoying but everyone ended up loving him anyway. Richard was never comfortable in the heat. Funnily, Ben Miller admitted he once got so hot during filming he ripped off all his clothes and ran into the sea!
Richard complained about everything and spent much of his time trying to source an English cup of tea. But the original team of Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey, Officer Dwayne Myers and Officer Fidel Best were soon impressed with his sleuthing.
There was a beautiful chemistry between Richard and Camille. Fans hoped that the pair would become an item. But sadly Richard's time on Saint Marie was cut short when he was murdered. Ben Miller was helped that the plots were also generally sharper at the start of Death in Paradise. Richard was the most complex, infuriating, and engrossing of all the detectives. That's why for me he's the greatest of them all.
Read more: It’s Not What You Think: ‘Sinister’ new thriller from Death in Paradise producer sounds incredible
