DEATH in Paradise’s Ralf Little has revealed he got a slap on the wrist from by the BBC after fleeing set mid-filming to visit his fiancee.
The 40-year-old actor plays DI Neville Parker in the hit BBC crime drama, which returned for its 10th series last week.
The show is filmed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and means the cast are away from their loved ones for months on end.
Ralf is engaged to American playwright Lindsey Ferrentino, who lives in New York, and during a break in filming series 10, the couple decided to meet up on another Caribbean island, Saint Martin.
The island is half-French, and half-Dutch, meaning Ralf could travel from Guadeloupe, which is a French overseas region, while Lindsey could also head to the island because of the air bridge that was in place between the USA and the Netherlands at the time.
Ralf said: “We were able to meet in the middle and have a week’s holiday together.”
However, his romantic break didn’t go down well with Death in Paradise bosses.
He continued: “I got told off. [Producers told me I’d] made a mistake. [I said] ‘Yes, I’m aware of this’.”
Once filming was finished, Ralf was able to fly to New York to see Lindsey again.
However, despite being scolded by producers for his island retreat, Ralf said he generally prefers working to going on holiday.
He said: “Oh, let’s be clear: if another acting gig comes along, I ain’t going to America!
“I love working. I’m not really bothered about holidays.”
Death in Paradise continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
