‘My Heart Is Broken’: Television Actress Anna May Samson Speaks out as Filming Wraps on ‘Death in Paradise’ Spinoff

Anna May Samson is celebrating the bittersweet ending of the Death in Paradise spinoff. Filming on the Australia-set spinoff of the murder mystery franchise began in April, per Variety, across Sydney and the Illawarra coastal region. From BBC Studios Productions Australia with Red Planet Pictures for the ABC in association with the BBC, Return to Paradise “follows detective inspector Mackenzie Clarke who reluctantly returns from the U.K. to Australia and the small town where she ditched her fiancé. But once a case lands on her desk, her tenacity and endurance means she can’t rest until the killer is in handcuffs.”

After portraying the franchise’s first lead female detective, the Home and Away is saying goodbye to Mackenzie Clarke. She took to Instagram to share a sweet photo with co-stars Lloyd Griffith, Tai Hara, and Aaron McGrath alongside the caption, “I got to spend the last three months with these three lads. I love them more than I can say. We wrapped our show this week and my heart is broken that they will no longer be contractually obligated to spend time with me.”

Since filming recently wrapped, it might still be a while until the premiere date is revealed. Just by looking at the Instagram photo and seeing how close the four of them have gotten in just three months, it’s clear this new Death in Paradise spinoff will be something to look forward to. There are only six episodes for Return to Paradise, but the wait will be well worth it.

British-French crime dramedy initially premiered in 2011 on BBC One in the UK and France 2 in France. The series is in its 13th season and spawned two spinoffs, including Return to Paradise. Starring Kris Marshall, Sally Bretton, Zahra Ahmadi, Dylan Llewellyn, Felicity Montagu, and Barbara Flynn, Beyond Paradise premiered in 2023, with a third season announced earlier this year.

Return to Paradise also stars Catherine McClements and Celia Ireland and is created by Robert Thorogood, James Hall, and Peter Mattessi. The series is expected to air later this year on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK and will be distributed globally by BBC Studios. More information on the spinoff should be announced very soon,  but for now, fans will just have to patiently wait for Return to Paradise to premiere.