Death in Paradise fans were thrilled to see the return of a popular character in the BBC’s Christmas special
Abbie Bray Deputy Editor for Screen Time
21:10, 28 Dec 2025
Death in Paradise fans were thrilled to see Selwyn Patterson (played by Don Warrington) make his comeback to the BBC series during Sunday night’s episode.
The Commissioner, who had left both his role and Saint Marie in the previous series, made a surprise appearance in the Christmas special.
The show’s new detective, DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet), called upon the Commissioner for assistance as he and his team worked to crack a baffling murder case on Saint Marie.
However, given that the killing had links to Britain, Selwyn, who was celebrating Christmas with his daughter, offered to travel to Swindon to aid the investigation.
Although initially hesitant, Mervin managed to crack the case after the Commissioner provided vital information to the detective, according to the Express.
Just minutes into the festive episode, Selwyn explained his presence in Swindon.
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He revealed, “The police were called to your colleague’s holiday villa, where, I am sorry to say, a man was found shot dead. Murdered.”
Fans were overjoyed by Selwyn’s return, with one writing, “Absolutely brilliant Christmas special, I really enjoyed it. It was lovely to see Selwyn return.”
Another added, “I knew it was going to be Selwyn!”
Meanwhile, a third wrote, “I definitely didn’t scream with excitement… IM SO HAPPY.”
Someone else said, “Was hoping it was going to be Selwyn.”
Selwyn left fans in awe when he made an appearance in the Death in Paradise spin-off, Beyond Paradise, where he was reunited with Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and Martha Lloyd (Sally Bretton) as the pair finally tied the knot.
The Beyond Paradise Instagram account also hinted at Selwyn’s participation ahead of the festive episode. Accompanied by a snapshot of the Commissioner, they posted, “Tomorrow night… the Commissioner might be in the UK, but the Caribbean keeps calling.”
The Commissioner seemed to bid farewell to Death in Paradise at the conclusion of series 14 after losing his position and being replaced.
However, following a petition initiated by Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine) to reinstate Selwyn, he was offered his old job back. In a surprising twist, Selwyn chose to decline the offer and leave. Despite his return in tonight’s Christmas special, it remains uncertain whether the Commissioner will be back in Saint Marie for series 15.
Death in Paradise can be viewed on BBC iPlayer.
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