Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise confirms “much-loved” character exit and fans are devastated
Ginny Holder has officially stepped down as Sergeant Darlene Curtis!
Fan-favourite Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise star Ginny Holder, known for her role as Sergeant Darlene Curtis, has officially left the BBC crime drama.
The news was announced last night via the show’s official Instagram account with a post that celebrated her time on the series with a video montage.
The video was captioned: “Sadly, we’re saying goodbye to Darlene this series. Ginny Holder has been a much-loved cast member, and we’re hugely grateful to her for bringing her talent, personality and energy to Officer Darlene Curtis.
“We wish her all the best – maybe we’ll catch up with her in Saint Marie down the line!”
Broken-hearted fans were quick to flood the comment section with messages expressing their upset and praising Holder’s work on Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise.
“I can’t describe how much Darlene has made such a lovely impact,” said one fan. “Ginny played Darlene so well and it’s very sad to see her go.”
Another wrote: “Darlene was a PERFECT character for the show! She had her ‘network’ but she also showed a lot of common sense and compassion. I’ll miss her! Thanks for your wonderful work, Ginny!”
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Despite Holder’s abrupt departure, the above post does make it clear that the BBC drama is holding the door open for her, so this may not be the last fans have seen of Darlene.
In fact, while Holder’s exit has been announced ahead of season 15’s debut, it is still unclear whether or not she will appear at all in the new season for an official on-screen farewell.
Holder’s absence does, however, leave a vacancy in Saint Marie’s police department, which is set to be filled by the new Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, played by Catherine Garton.
As per the synopsis, “Detective Sergeant Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) and Officer Sebastian Rose (Shaquille Ali-Yebuah) [will] help new recruit Sergeant Mattie Fletcher settle into the fold, which might be easier said than done as shadows from her past begin to reveal themselves”.
Elsewhere, “as DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) continues to adjust to life in Saint Marie, he and the police team must face a myriad of baffling cases.
“Whilst attempting to connect with his recently discovered half-brother Solomon (Daniel Ward), Mervin’s newfound familial happiness soon turns to frustration as he discovers the pair are not quite as similar as he hoped they might be.”
