AN actor from Death in Paradise has lifted the lid on why he decided to leave the show in 2021.
Tobi Bakare played Sergeant JP Hooper for seven years before deciding it was time for his character to wave goodbye to the tropical shores of Saint Marie.
Various cast members have left the BBC drama over the years, including most recently leading man Ralf Little, but Tobi had an unusual motive for quitting.
While some of his co-stars made their big exit because of family responsibilities or because they felt their character arc was complete, the actor from London has revealed he moved on for religious reasons.
Tobi told Radio Times that a preacher in a Guadeloupian church inspired his decision.
The Christian man said: “Something happened in season seven. I was in a church in Guadeloupe.
“The preacher mentioned seven years in a message. As soon as he mentioned seven years, I don’t know what happened. It just clicked.
“It was like a moment of realisation. I had three more years left. It was three more years until it would be seven years, but it just hit me so hard.”
Tobi decided to consult his wife Prisca on the subject.
She played the role of his on-screen wife Rosey in series ten.
He continued: “At this time, my wife was in the UK, and I told her that I know when it’s going to be time for me to leave the show. But I wanted her to go away, pray about it, and think about it.
“She’d done so, and called me up the next day, and said, ‘2020’. So the exact time of the seven years. So we were like, ‘Yeah, that’s the time.’ That’s the actual reason.”
However, he has admitted to having a more media friendly answer when publications ask him why he left the role.
Tobi joked: “The media answer is: I’ve been on the show for quite a while, and there’s an exploration of what’s to happen next in my career.
“And not just that – you know, my daughter’s going into school.”
While his religious experience might be the primary reason Tobi left Death in Paradise, it is also true that the filming location in Guadaloupe presented challenges for his life with his three young children.
However, the actor says he would consider taking on a new role that would require him to travel.
Death In Paradise started in 2011 and has welcomed four detectives so far to the island.
These are all of the actors who have played the lead detective in the hit BBC series so far:
Ben Miller as DI Richard Poole – Actor Ben played the first ever detective from seasons 1 to 2, and then returned as a guest star in the third and tenth series.
Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman. Next up My Family star took on the role for three years from series 3 to 6.
Ardal O’Hanlon as DI Jack Mooney. Father Ted star Ardal was a fan favourite and was the detective for three seasons from series 6 to 9.
Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker. The actor started in 2019 and is the longest-running star to have the detective role. He was on the show for four seasons from 9 to 13.
