BBC’s beloved murder mystery drama Death in Paradise first premiered in 2011, with Ben Miller leading its cast as Detective Inspector Richard Poole. However, as the show quickly became an essential Friday watch, the character’s shocking death occurred at the beginning of the third season.

After being stabbed to death at a Cambridge University reunion by a fellow student, his predecessor, DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), investigated the crime and caught the murderer. As fans were heartbroken by his departure, Miller revealed that his family was a major factor in his decision to leave. The actor shares one son with his ex-wife, Belinda Stewart-Wilson, who famously starred in The Inbetweeners as Polly McKenzie.

She went on to land roles in Netflix’s Stay Close and Sick Note and alongside Miller in Primeval.

The former couple tied the knot in 2004 before welcoming a son named Sonny in 2006. They divorced five years later, in 2011.

The actor opened up about his relationship with Belinda after their split, and in 2010, he told The Guardian: “My wife and I have been separated for a while, but we have an arrangement where Sonny spends half the time with me and half the time with her.

“I very much wanted the perfect nuclear family, and I came from the perfect nuclear family, but like so many people, that isn’t the way things have worked out. I’m very lucky in that Belinda and I are good friends.”

The Death in Paradise star welcomed two children in his current marriage to Jessica Parker, who is the daughter of esteemed musician Alan Parker.

The musician is best known for his music work for film and TV shows, including ITV’s News At Ten, the Top of the Pops theme, The Glory Boys, and BBC’s Walking with Cavemen.

After finding fame as a guitarist during the 1960s, Alan was credited on Donovan’s 1968 hit Hurdy Gurdy Man, the Walker Brothers’ No Regrets and David Bowie’s 1971 release of Holy Holy.

After three years, Miller opted to leave Death in Paradise in 2014 for more family time as he “struggled” being away from them for the majority of the year whilst filming in the Caribbean.