Inside Ralf Little’s life from Death in Paradise exit to personal tragedy
Ralf Little is a British actor best known for his roles in The Royle Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and Death in Paradise, which he left in 2024.
Ralf Little has been in the spotlight since he as a teenager(Image: Getty)
Ralf Little established himself as a familiar face in 1998 upon joining the BBC sitcom The Royle Family as youngest son, Antony.
Subsequently, he’s appeared in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and Death in Paradise, which he departed in 2024.
Although he’s featured in a plethora of other shows, including his popular series with friend and former co-star Will Mellor.
This weekend, however, he returns to television as he’s scheduled to feature on Sunday Brunch with Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer.
Having been in the public eye since the age of 17, we’re examining the actor’s private life beyond the spotlight.
Childhood tragedy
Ralf become emotional when speaking about his late sister(Image: U)
The BBC star endured profound personal grief as a youngster when his elder sister Ceri passed away while he was nine years old. At merely 14, Ceri tragically lost her life after falling from a 150-foot clifftop while on a family holiday in Cornwall.
Discussing his late sister on his programme with Will Mellor, Ralf grew visibly emotional as he addressed his personal choice not to become a father, reports the Express.
He said: “My parents were fantastic with us and did the best that they could. But their relationship broke down really in a really difficult way and that was very difficult for us.
“You know, there’s no way of putting this that’s not blunt, but, you know, they had three kids and an idyllic family life and then one of the kids was alive one week and dead the next.
“Everything, their entire lives, crumbled right in front of their eyes from that moment on. It’s like, you know, you can’t protect them. My mum was really… my mum was really protective of us. Really protective.
“And it happened anyway. It happened anyway because you can’t wrap your kids in cotton wool and protect them 24-7. Like, it’s a lot. And it’s only when I’m forced to sort of say these things out loud that I realise quite what a lot it is.”
Ralf has also revealed that the passing of his sister motivated him to pursue excellence and push himself to be the very best.
Death in Paradise exit
Ralf left Death in Paradise after four years(Image: BBC)
Ralf became a firm favourite on the long-running BBC crime drama after joining the cast as DI Neville Parker in 2020. He confirmed his departure four years later, with Don Gilbert stepping in as DI Mervin Wilson.
The actor chose to leave the series after both he and the production team felt his character’s storyline had run its natural course. At the time, he announced: “My time on Saint Marie has come to an end – what an end! New adventures await Neville, and he got to sail away into the sunset with his best friend. Who knows what happens for them next!”.
Despite this, his mother feared his departure would spell the end of his acting career, as he told The I last year: “About six months ago, I went to visit her. My mum’s done this my whole career – she’s always worried about me.
“She went: ‘So, I’ve been thinking, now that your career’s over, you could go back to medical school this September and qualify in five years, and the good news is you could still work till you’re 75.”
Medical dreams
Ralf attended protesters in central London for the “Fix It Now” NHS march(Image: GETTY)
While he’s most recognised for his performances in Death in Paradise, The Royle Family and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Ralf nearly pursued an entirely different path.
Prior to launching his acting career, Ralf aspired to become a doctor, studying at the University of Manchester Medical School. Nevertheless, he withdrew from the programme upon securing the part of Anthony Royle to dedicate himself to acting full-time.
It appears medical professions are hereditary, as Ralf’s brother works as a doctor and his sister as a nurse. When questioned about whether he contemplates what his own medical career might have entailed, he told The Telegraph in 2021: “Yes. Being a doctor is a calling. I was serious about it. Acting was just a fun hobby.
“I look at NHS workers now, and they’re unbelievably heroic, but I guess I’m lucky not to have to deal with the s**t that’s thrown at them.”
Medicine wasn’t Ralf’s sole alternative career option, as he was previously a semi-professional footballer, having played for semi-pro side Maidstone United in the early 2000s.
