Don Gilet loves Death in Paradise 'contrast' after EastEnders villain role

Yahoo

10-02-2025

Don Gilet has said he loved the chance to have a change from playing the bad guy after swapping EastEnders for Death in Paradise.
Gilet, known for his role as soap villain Lucas Johnson which he played on and off for 16 years, is familiar to BBC One viewers as the drug-addict-turned-killer-preacher who menaced Albert Square for nearly two decades. Now, he has taken on a much gentler role in the channel's hit cosy crime drama, set in the Caribbean.
However, Gilet joked with ITV's Lorraine that having a job and money was what had really attracted him to the sunsoaked series.
Lorraine Kelly pointed out that Gilet must be living a very different life after leaving grey and gritty Walford behind for hot, sunny Saint Marie - as well as exchanging his life of crime for tracking down criminals as a detective.
She said of his new Death in Paradise role: "Light years away from EastEnders, of course. I would imagine that's one of the main things that attracted you to the role."
Gilet joked: "What, the job? Just money?" as Lorraine replied: "No, the fact it was just so different."
"Oh sorry, there is that as well, the contrast of rich and poor," he continued to joke.
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Gilet added more seriously: "It's always great to play both saints and sinners, every actor wants to do that. Those darker characters, more complex, just to try and make them a rounded person so you're not just going boo, you're going why are they like that."
Death in Paradise periodically replaces its lead detective on the series and Gilet opened up on what it was like to step into the main part alongside a cast used to working together over many years.
He said: "It was nerve-wracking, because on one hand, I've got the lead role! But on the other hand, I've got the lead role...argh!
"But they're a family, they've been doing it for ages, they welcomed me and it's like I just carried on where I left off, really."
Shantol Jackson, who plays Sergeant Naomi Thomas, also joined Gilet on Lorraine where she shared how happy she was to bring some "authenticity" to the series.
Death in Paradise sees UK detectives swap their usual day job for life in the Caribbean as they join the police department of fictional Saint Marie, but Jackson, who is from Jamaica, shared how important she felt it was to feature local actors, too.
She said: "For me, the fact that it's a Caribbean show and I can play a Caribbean character and bring that level of authenticity to the show."
Jackson added: "They show it in Jamaica. They showed series one and then we didn't get it for a while. Then last year they started showing series 11 where I came in."
Talking about how much she liked working in the Caribbean, Jackson added: "I appreciate the heat, ok. I appreciate the warm. Who doesn't love beaches."
Gilet told her: "I like the heat, I just wish they'd turn it down every now and again so that people can sleep. It's holiday heat."
She replied: "Working in the heat is different, but then you go to the beach after work."
Lorraine airs on ITV1 at 9am on weekdays.