BBC's beloved Beyond Paradise reveals Christmas special guest stars with a festive first look

Beyond Paradise is gearing up for a Christmas to remember, with a festive mystery set to leave DI Humphrey Goodman scratching his head. The beloved BBC crime drama is returning for another Christmas special, with Kris Marshall reprising his role as the detective, as a rather unusual case threatens to spoil the celebrations in Shipton Abbott.

Fans have also been treated to a festive first look, with familiar faces returning alongside Jamie Bamber as Archie Hughes.

Sally Bretton is back as Martha Lloyd, alongside Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams, Dylan Llewellyn as PC Kelby Hartford, Barbara Flynn as Anne Lloyd and Felicity Montagu as Margo Martins.

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The festive episode sees a little girl convinced she's spotted Father Christmas on her roof, only for the magical moment to take a sinister turn.

Residents of the Whitfield Estate wake to discover a man dressed as Santa has fallen from the roof, while a string of burglaries has left the neighbourhood reeling.

To make matters worse, both CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts suggest Santa himself is responsible.

As Humphrey investigates, he discovers that each burglary has some rather unusual details. But with the man in red recovering in hospital, can he crack the case before Christmas?

Related: Return to Paradise's Anna Samson reveals how season 3 pushed her to new emotional depths

Meanwhile, Martha has troubles of her own when she begins receiving mysterious phone calls and suspects someone is following her.

After confronting a stranger, she discovers their true identity and reason for arriving in Shipton Abbott, leaving her facing a difficult conversation.

Elsewhere, Esther puts pressure on Archie by declaring that a couple's first Christmas together can make or break their relationship.

Determined to impress her, Archie finds himself facing the challenge of finding the perfect present.

Kelby, meanwhile, is forced to play peacemaker between two feuding neighbours whose competitive Christmas lights displays have sparked accusations of sabotage.

The special promises plenty of festive chaos, heartwarming moments and the show's trademark mix of mystery and humour.

The Beyond Paradise Christmas special will be available on BBC iPlayer from Friday, 27 November, before airing on BBC One over the festive season.

Previous series are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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