Patsy Kensit heads the cast bound for a festive trip to St. Marie this year. 

Although Death in Paradise is gearing up for its 13th series, the show’s Christmas Specials still feel like a relatively novel idea. The upcoming festive season brings the third such episode, and the BBC have just announced the cast list.

This year, the guest cast includes Patsy Kensit (EastEnders), Doon Mackichan (Two Doors Down), Youssef Kerkour (House of Gucci), Geoff Bell (The Curse), Bronagh Waugh (Ridley), Amelia Clarkson (The Last Kingdom), Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone) and Leila Khan (Heartstopper).

They join the show’s regulars; Ralf Little, Don Warrington, Shantol Jackson, Tahj Miles, Ginny Holder and Élizabeth Bourgine.

Here’s the setup:

When entrepreneur and family man, Gerry Stableforth (Geoff Bell), is found dead in a ravine, his family – wife, Bella (Patsy Kensit), children Benjamin (Freddy Carter), Mariana (Amelia Clarkson), and niece Riley (Leila Khan) – are left in shock. As DI Neville Parker, DS Naomi Thomas, Officer Marlon Pryce and Trainee Officer Darlene Curtis set to work on cracking this mysterious death, things take a turn as the family’s visiting digital marketing guru, Debbie Clumson (Bronagh Waugh), suddenly disappears. Once news of Debbie’s disappearance reaches home, her hapless partner, Dave (Youssef Kerkour), is determined to find out what happened to her.

Meanwhile, Neville’s larger-than-life mum, Melanie (Doon Mackichan), arrives on the island to spend Christmas with her son in the sun. Quickly striking up a fabulous friendship with Catherine Bordey, the pair take the Saint Marie dating scene by storm. But not before Melanie attempts to impart some words of wisdom upon her love-scarred son, who is battling the notion that some people just aren’t meant to find love, with him being one of them…

Also taking notes from Neville’s mum, Naomi attempts to loosen up and focus on herself outside of work – but is she about to make things awkward between herself and a close friend at the Christmas party? And is Neville the man responsible for putting an awkward stop to Commissioner Selwyn Patterson’s big Christmas lights switch on?

The feature-length Death in Paradise Christmas Special will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The executive producers are Tim Key and Ceri Meyrick (Red Planet Pictures) and Danielle Scott-Haughton (BBC). The producer is Joanna Hanley.

You can relive all the previous Death in Paradise investigations on BBC iPlayer, as well as the spin-off Beyond Paradise.

Return to Paradise

In related news, a further show set in the “Paraverse” was recently announced. The Australian set Return to Paradise will follow a former Met detective who reluctantly returns to her childho0d home.

We’ll keep you posted on all things Death in Paradise.