Death In Paradise fans have been given a glimpse of the new star joining the BBC crime drama.

The actor taking over from Ardal O’Hanlon in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe is set to be revealed soon.

In the meantime, producers have released a sneak peek of the new, dark-haired DI sitting on a hammock, with his back towards the camera.

After tweeting the image, fans began guessing with suggestions ranging from Silent Witness actor David Caves to The Royle Family’s Ralf Little.

Last week, O’Hanlon, 54, announced he was waving goodbye to Death In Paradise after three sun-soaked years.

O’Hanlon, who joined as DI Jack Mooney in 2017, said it was “time to move on and explore other opportunities”.

DI’s Mooney exit storyline has not been revealed and viewers will have to tune in to the BBC One show to see exactly how and why his character departs.

He will make his final appearance in the forthcoming ninth series.

Death In Paradise, which is set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, launched in 2011 with Ben Miller in the lead role, followed by Kris Marshall.