Death in Paradise star makes surprise cameo in spin-off series Return To Paradise

ok.co.uk:

If you're totally addicted to Death In Paradise and a regular viewer of Beyond Paradise, brace yourself for the cracking new series, Return To Paradise.Taking us down under to the stunning Dolphin Cove in Australia, the spin-off features Aussie actress Anna Samson as DI Mackenzie Clarke alongside the rising British star Lloyd Griffith as Detective SC Colin Cartwright.

Anna, 34, was stoked to nab this top part but admits she had to push aside thoughts of being the first female lead in the hit franchise or its mammoth success. "You have to put that to the side," she divulged. "The pressure of being the first female, or the size of the franchise, is not helpful.

I don’t think being a female changes the DNA of the show. Being in Australia changes it more." This doesn't diminish her sheer excitement and honour of landing the role as Mackenzie, who returns ‘home’ after time in the UK’s Metropolitan Police. "As well as being fairly overwhelmed, there was great joy and pride," shared Anna. "I was as pleased as punch that I got to play the first female lead in the franchise." The plot thickens when Mackenzie hits the glorious Dolphin Cove just as a local realtor Stuart Granger ends up washed ashore with a knife in his back during a surf carnival, pushing her straight into her first case.

Anna is thrilled by the drama's bold choice to make victims less sympathetic, saying, "A wonderful, slightly comforting thing about our show is that you’re not overly sorry to see the person go, be it the estate agent or the wellness influencer," and adds with a grin, "There’s something a bit delicious about who gets murdered." When Stuart meets his untimely end, Mackenzie has just returned to Australia.