Death In Paradise's Marlon Pryce exit explained as fans 'still can't get over' loss

'Death in Paradise' is treating viewers to a trip down memory lane with repeats from its 10th series, starring Ralf Little as the quirky DI Neville Parker on BBC One.

The nostalgic rerun features beloved characters DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert) and Sergeant JP Hooper (Tobi Bakare), drawing fans back to their enthralling cases.

But it's Tahj Miles' role as Marlon Pryce that’s left a hole in audiences’ hearts; the young actor captivated viewers as he transformed from minor crook to respected police officer under JP's guidance.

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Marlon's departure came in season 13, a bittersweet moment as he pursued new horizons following his sister’s educational achievements in Jamaica.

Marlon's leap from Saint Marie to joining the Jamaican police was facilitated by none other than his mentor, culminating in a heartfelt exit story for fans to cherish, reports Wales Online.

The reason for Tahj Miles leaving 'Death in Paradise' was a natural progression of the plot and his own desire to explore fresh acting ventures.

Affection and respect underpin Tahj's parting from the show, with the actor seizing an exciting opportunity with the BBC production of ‘Mr Loverman,’ despite sharing his initial jitters to Radio Times about shifting gears after years of embodying Marlon.

Diving deep into a brand-new role brought a mix of elation and anxiety for Tahj, as he confessed: "When I booked the job, it was just a good feeling to know that I can book something else other than Death in Paradise.

"But then it was nerve-wracking because I've just been in the head of Marlon for four years, so to jump into a whole different character who has his whole different problems and things he has to go through, it was scary."

When he left the show, he made it clear that the door was open for his character to return, stating: "Just know that on my end, [the exit] made sense to me."

He added: "And if you don't see me on the show for the next two, three years, just know that it doesn't make sense in that moment in time, for whatever reason, whether it's just what I'm doing personally in my life, the direction they're going in on the show, the direction they want to bring the character back into."

Viewers have been taking to Reddit to share their thoughts on his departure. One fan, Specific-Dealer-1547, posted: "I still can't get over the fact Marlon is gone. He was definitely my favourite character and I feel like it was very sudden how he made that decision to leave."

The user praised Marlon's development as a character, saying: "Such a shame, he was such a good character, especially with his development into becoming a really good, hardworking police officer."

Another fan, Whatever-and-breathe, agreed, saying: "Yes agreed I really liked this character... And is exit was really sudden too particularly when the writers were clearly hinting to a potential relationship for him."

Death in Paradise airs on BBC One at 9pm