Shocking Truth: Why Josephine Jobert Really Left BBC’s Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise fans have been calling for Josephine Jobert to make a return to the BBC drama after her character, Florence Cassell, left the island.
The actress has been on and off in the show since 2015 (Image: BBC / Red Planet / Duncan Fowlie)
BBC One’s hit show Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise has seen its fair share of cast changes, with Josephine Jobert being a notable example. She first appeared in the series in 2015 and exited in 2019, only to make guest appearances in seasons 10 and 11 and even a shock return in 2024 as her character stepped out from witness protection.
In an intimate video message to her fans, she clarified that her initial exit was due to personal and professional reasons, emphasising it was “nothing dramatic”.
She said, “Everything is fine. It’s just that I’ve been working on Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise for five years. I loved every minute of it.
“I’m going to miss the show, I’m going to miss Toby and Ardal and Shyko and everyone, so it’s been a tough decision, but that’s life.”
Having thought she had left the detective series for good, she was unexpectedly lured back, as she disclosed to Hello! regarding her season 10 TV comeback, reports Wales Online.
“I already left in series eight, I thought it would be for good, honestly, I thought, ‘I’m done,'” she confessed
“Then they asked me back for series ten as I was like, ‘Hmmm I don’t know, okay I’m going to do it.’ But I knew it wouldn’t be forever, I knew it. How long, I didn’t know. I had an idea but I wasn’t sure.”
However, the third episode of the tenth series, titled Lucky in Love, originally aired in 2021 and will be rebroadcast at 9pm tonight on BBC One.
The synopsis of the episode reads: “It seems money doesn’t buy happiness when lottery winner Cherry is found dead at her luxurious villa, much to the horror of her husband and their visiting friends.”
The plot thickens as Neville and his team are faced with a puzzling case: no one was present in the house at the time of the murder, and the victim’s body mysteriously disappears.
Josephine will make a ‘return’ in a rerun episode tonight (Image: BBC / Red Planet / Duncan Fowlie)
It continues: “Meanwhile, JP is training unruly new officer Marlon, aware that his wife Rosey is due to give birth at any time.”
She also teased the prospect of joining the spin-off series, Beyond Paradise, mentioning it was a topic she had broached with the producer.
“We’ll see if that will happen. But I would love to anyway. It would be a very nice wink,” she hinted.
Fans have taken to social media to heap praise on the French actress’s captivating performance in Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise.
A Reddit user, one fan expressed their fondness: “She’s the heart and soul of the show, it’s never quite the same without her.”
Another added their thoughts: “I always hoped she would have a turn being detective after being promoted.”
A third shared their nostalgia: “I really miss her, honestly. While I do like Naomi, I really would have loved if Florence had become the first non-English DI in the show; especially with her experience and smarts.”
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
