Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise star Shaquille Ali-Yebuah says BBC series helped with loss of younger brother
The actor joined the hit BBC series last year
Shaquille Ali-Yebuah joined Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise last year(Image: BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise star Shaquille Ali-Yebuah opened up about the loss of his brother and admitted that the BBC series helped him in the aftermath.
The BBC show first aired back in 2011, with Ben Miller starring as the first detective. Don Gilet joined Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise as the new lead detective, DI Mervin Wilson, debuting in the 2024 Christmas Special, and then starring in the full Series 14 in early 2025, taking over from Ralf Little.
The 30-year-old actor currently plays Officer Sebastian Rose in the hit BBC One detective series after joining the BBC cast in 2025 as he made his debut in the second episode of the series.
He has now reflected on how landing the role came at a pivotal moment after the Dᴇᴀᴛʜ of his younger brother Zion who died aged 20 in 2023.
Speaking with the Daily Mirror newspaper, Shaquille said: “It would have been his 23rd birthday last week. His Dᴇᴀᴛʜ left us all devastated and I took a break from acting.”
Shaquille celebrated his 30th birthday while filming the drama in Guadelope, but admitted he felt his brother’s absence during a family gathering on the Caribbean island.
He said: “It was as if it was meant to be and fate I got the part. Guadeloupe is such a nice spiritual island. Beautiful nature, you have mangoes and coconuts just lying around in abundance.
“Beautiful sunsets and every beach is picturesque. The island also has a nice laid-back energy, there is no rush unlike the rat race in the UK.”
The series is a hit with BBC viewers(Image: BBC)
Before appearing on Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise, the actor first starred in BBC Two comedy The First Team and Paramount+ series FBI: International.
As he added that Zion would come to auditions with him, Shaquille said: “I used to bring my brother onto sets and to auditions to inspire him. I know 100 per cent he would be proud of me. And I know he would definitely have been with me in Guadeloupe during filming, exploring nature and island living.”
Describing his character in the series, the star continued: “Sebastian is such a great team player and he is always willing to go above and beyond. He tries new methods to solve cases and he thinks outside the box.
“His fidgety brain becomes his superpower! In future episodes, we are going to learn more about him. I am looking forward to the audience having a better understanding of him. He’s a cool kid on the island and very popular.”
The latest series started to air on BBC at the end of last month, and Catherine Garton joined the cast as Sergeant Mattie. Shaquille gushed: “As soon as Catherine arrived, Shantol and I just took her in and let her know everything there is to know about how things work, the production, the set.
“We made her feel at home and made her feel comfortable. After a while it was like she’d been there forever, she fit in so well.”
