Death in Paradise 2026 Christmas special confirms surprise early release date as Coronation Street and Changing Ends favourites join cast

Death in Paradise will be back on our screens before the month is out with its annual Christmas special.

The feature-length episode will be available on BBC iPlayer from Friday 27 November, with the episode also airing on BBC One over the festive season.

Don Gilet returns as DI Mervin Wilson, back on the case alongside Don Warrington (Commissioner Selwyn Patterson), Shantol Jackson (DS Naomi Thomas), Shaquille Ali-Yebuah (Officer Sebastian Rose), Catherine Garton (Sergeant Mattie Fletcher), and Elizabeth Bourgine (Catherine Bordey).

They will be joined by a number of new guest stars including Charlie Higson (The Fast Show), Caroline Catz (Doc Martin), Freddie Meredith (Such Brave Girls) and Shaun Dooley (Misfits).

Anneika Rose (Line of Duty), Ene Frost (The Winter King) and Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) also feature.

But what's in store for them all?

"When the patriarch of one of Britain's most famous families is murdered on their private Saint Marie island, the Pendleford dynasty is thrust firmly into the spotlight and under suspicion," reads the official synopsis.

"The police team must pick through a combustible mix of family tensions, bitter rivalries and carefully buried secrets, and everyone has something to hide.

"As festive cheer curdles into suspicion and Seb and Mattie follow a crucial lead, a shocking connection to the past emerges. Can Mervin and the team unmask the killer before they strike again?"

The investigation also threatens to upend the team's festive plans...

"Naomi finds herself torn between duty and family, while Selwyn is forced to revisit a case from his past with devastating consequences," the synopsis continues.

Meanwhile, "Catherine's Christmas takes an unexpected turn when a chance encounter brings someone new into her life".

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Death in Paradise will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from Friday 27 November 2026.

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Authors

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.