Death In Paradise - I Love This Show

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Working in paradise is just murder! Ben Miller on the case in glorious Guadeloupe

By Ben.miller

It is the kind of job most actors dream about – filming a hit TV comedy drama on a spectacularly beautiful Caribbean island. Luckily for me, it’s a job I’ve actually got!
In the BBC series Death In Paradise, I play Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Richard Poole, who is posted to fictional St Marie initially to catch the killer of a police colleague.
He ends up staying on the island, which is ironic really because Richard hates everything about ‘Paradise’, from the constant sunshine and crystal-clear waters to the disappointing quality of the tea.

TV team: Ben Miller as Detective Inspector Richard Poole and his colleague Camille, played by Sara Martins

In stark contrast to Richard, I love everything about Guadeloupe, where the show is filmed. I knew nothing about the island before I signed up for the role so the first thing I did was search for it on Google, and up popped these wonderful photos of a tropical Eden.
Actually, I have to say that the photos online of Guadeloupe don’t really do it justice because there’s so much more variation to it than just white beaches and palm trees.
The southernmost nation in the Leeward Islands, Guadeloupe comprises two main islands: Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre. They are separated by a narrow sea channel called Salt River.
Guadeloupe is shaped like a butterfly. Basse-Terre – the left wing of the butterfly, if you like – is quite flat, almost like a desert island. Volcanic Grande-Terre, the right wing, is mountainous and covered in rainforest, while the entire coastline boasts a ribbon of pristine sand.
Guadeloupe is actually a department of France and therefore a part of the European Union – that’s something that surprises many first-time visitors. The euro is the island’s official currency.

A slice of paradise: La Perle beach at Deshaies is invitingly dreamy

Sit at a cafe in the resort of St Francois on Grande-Terre and you could imagine you’re on the Cote d’Azur. There’s a marina and rows of bistros, while handsome holidaymakers wander the streets with designer jumpers draped over their shoulders.
We film Death In Paradise mostly on Grande-Terre. The locals grow all kinds of produce, including coconuts and glorious mangos. At the top of the volcano is a national park with incredible waterfalls and wonderfully lush vegetation.
I love the contrasts between the two halves of Guadeloupe. And there are other smaller satellite islands to admire as well, such as Marie-Galante and a lovely collection of islands called Les Saintes.
I’ve seen a lot of Guadeloupe through filming but I’ve seen much more by venturing out on my own.
For example, after hearing about Les Saintes I decided to take a look for myself. These islands were originally settled by Bretons, so essentially what you have is a Breton fishing village in the middle of the Caribbean. Amazing.

On the case: Ben and Sara in a scene from the TV drama

This area is also a paradise for divers. The renowned Jacques Cousteau described the waters  surrounding Guadeloupe as one of the top diving spots in the world. Snorkelling here is the most extraordinary experience.
The sea is very calm and the marine life is carefully monitored by various conservation groups so that the coral, fish and other sea creatures are allowed to thrive. Death In Paradise is now in its second series – the first of eight episodes was screened last week.
For the first series, I stayed in a villa that turned out to be a bit lonely. This time around I stayed with other members of the cast and crew in the Fort Royal Hotel, just outside Deshaies, on Basse. It was a much more enjoyable experience and we had a great time.
While each series takes six months to film, I don’t spend the entire time on Guadeloupe. I like to return to Britain briefly every two or three weeks to see my young children.

Splashing good time: One of the country's spectacular waterfalls

One downside is that the journey is a little difficult because there are no direct flights – I travel with Air France via Paris.
Most holidaymakers in Guadeloupe are French, although you see some Scandinavians too. There are lots of nice hotels in and around St Francois and St Anne.
Viewers of Death In Paradise get a slightly distorted view of crime on the island. I’m not sure how many murders there are every year in Guadeloupe, but there certainly aren’t as many as there are in the show – and they are never as bizarre as we portray.
For example, in one episode, a bride was killed by a psychopath brandishing a harpoon gun! That was certainly a case to test the mental powers of Richard and his no-nonsense colleague, Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey, played by Sara Martins.
In my opinion, falling coconuts present far more of a hazard than harpoon guns. During filming one day, I was standing near a tree when a coconut flew off in a gust of wind and narrowly missed me.
I don’t think I would have survived if it had hit me on the head. I’m not joking when I say that coconut trees are very dangerous. Death by coconut? Sounds like a potential storyline.
I would certainly recommend Guadeloupe as a holiday destination. One of the many things on the must-do list for visitors is a trip to La Soufriere, at the top of the volcano. You should also go to St Francois and see the marina, and I would definitely advise a trip to Les Saintes.
If you like swimming, take a dip in a waterfall. There’s a great one near Deshaies but you can find them all over Guadeloupe. A swim in one of the waterfalls in the rainforest is an amazing experience.
I also enjoyed taking a boat trip from Deshaies. You can go from here to the Jacques Cousteau  Reserve in Bouillante, which is also worth a look. While you are there, take the opportunity to swim with turtles and see the coral reef.

Land of contrasts: The resort of Deshaies on Basse-Terre, one of two main islands that make up Guadeloupe

Having a base in Guadeloupe has allowed me to visit other Caribbean islands during some down-time. I learned quickly that there’s really no such thing as a typical Caribbean island – they’re all so different.
On one occasion I went to Antigua and it was interesting to compare Guadeloupe, with its French heritage, to a place that was part of the British Empire. Before I joined the cast of Death In Paradise, I also spent a sailing holiday in the Grenadines.
It was fantastic to explore islands such as St Vincent, Mustique, Bequia and Tobago Cays. The only disappointment was not seeing too many stars on Mustique.
We were hoping to spot Sir Mick Jagger strutting his stuff on a beach, but no such luck. However, we did see tennis player Greg Rusedski.

 Although Mustique has a reputation of being a millionaires’ playground, I thought it was surprisingly unflashy. While cricket is played on most Caribbean islands, you are more likely to see locals on Guadeloupe playing boules – I suppose that’s the French influence for you.

French-style food also makes its way on to the menus of many restaurants, alongside more traditional Caribbean flavours. If you are eating out, don’t be surprised to see such contrasting dishes as entrecote frite and curried goat being served.
Filming in Guadeloupe at least gives me a chance to leave British shores. Having small children means we spend our holidays in the UK rather than venturing abroad – not that I’m complaining, because I love exploring different parts of the country.
At the moment, we’re getting to know the Cotswolds. We recently spent a weekend in Cirencester and the nearby village of Barnsley, which are beautiful. We’ve also spent some time in Suffolk, which is a joy.
While I love Guadeloupe, it has occurred to me that it would have been easier if I had starred in a British-based police drama such as Inspector Morse, Lewis or Midsomer Murders. If ever Richard Poole decides to leave Paradise, perhaps he can continue to solve some dastardly crimes – in Suffolk.