On Friday night, the much-loved crime-drama came to an end as viewers watched DI Mervin (Don Gilet) assist the Saint Marie force in solving another murder mystery.

As the series drew to a close, fans witnessed DI Mervin pondering his future on the island after Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) revealed he has a brother.

When the credits began to roll, BBC viewers saw the show pay tribute to a cherished member of the Death in Paradise team.

A title card flashed on screen, reading: "En la memoire de notre ami Denis Guyenon 24/06/1965 -06/07/2024."

The French text translates to "In memory of our friend". Denis was a part of the Camera and Electrical Department on the BBC programme, reports

According to his IMDb profile, the crew member worked on 60 episodes of Death in Paradise as a still photographer. He also lent his skills to the French TV drama, Captain Marleau.

Emotions ran high during the finale of Death in Paradise as one of the most adored characters on the show made an unexpected departure.

Over the past few weeks, the future of Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) hung in the balance, following news that his job was being axed due to budget cuts.

After playing a pivotal role in helping DI Mervin (Don Gilet) and the team apprehend the murderer of Mervin's mum, his position was reinstated. However, it appears he decided to reconsider.

The BBC drama took a twist when Selwyn pulled up in a taxi to bid farewell to Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine), leaving fans stunned. Questioned by Catherine about his decision to turn down the job after fighting for it, he confessed: "I don't know, but it felt wrong to say yes, too much has happened and right now, I can't see a way to get back to how things were."

His next steps were revealed as he planned to visit his daughter Andrina (Genesis Lynea) with an uncertain return date.

A touching exchange occurred as he implored Catherine to take care of herself and the team, to which she responded: "Of course, promise me this isn't farewell but au revoir."

Speculation surrounds whether his departure is just a brief hiatus or a permanent exit. Prior to the series starting, actor Don teased the evolving layers of his role, stating: "It's very interesting because we discover other aspects of Selwyn and that's always the joy about playing a character like him - there are so many different sides to him."

Reflecting on the depth of his character, he added: "You think you know about somebody but due to life events, you learn more about them. He's opening up, he's a bit like a flower coming in to bloom."

Death in Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.