Death In Paradise will have a female lead detective for the first time, which is very exciting for the popular show.
Anna Samson will take the spotlight in the spin-off from the crime comedy drama, Return to Paradise, as DI Mackenzie Clarke. It will be available to watch in the UK on Australiaand iPlayer later this year. BBC The original show is set in the Caribbean island of Saint Marie and has been a favorite since it began in 2011. In its thirteen series, four male leads – Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon, and Ralf Little, who
recently left the series have solved cases in the sunshine..
Ralf recently left Death in Paradise and said on BBC Breakfast: ‘If it was just a heart decision I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years.
‘But just for the show and for my character Neville it just sort of felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed.
‘He deserved a happy ending and it just felt right.’
Talented actress Anna will now be taking proceedings down under and into a new era.
While we wait to watch the new episodes, let’s take a look at the game-changing Anna including her time on Home and Away, and upbringing…
Who is Anna Samson?
Anna was born in the UK, before moving to Nigeria and finally, settling in Australia in her teen years where she pursued a career in acting. Her passion was something that was inside of her from a very early age.
‘I was about four years old when I confronted my parents with my plans to be on the stage,’ she told Toasting Aussie Theatre.
She attended a performing arts high school in Sydney and quickly found a love for theatre. ‘The stage has always been where I feel my best, and it gets the best of me,’ Anna, who has took on roles in theatre shows The Master and Margarita and Consent in the last year, shared.
What TV shows has Anna Samson been in?
Although theatre is her first love, she soon began to get enamoured by other parts of the acting world.
‘I had always dreamt of becoming a stage actor and that whole world intoxicated me and it still does. More recently, screen has become another great love because I’ve started to do more and I’ve started to understand what it takes to do a screen performance,’ she told Cinema Australia in 2017.
‘My whole world is opening up in terms of the film and TV industry for me, so that’s really exciting.’
Her first TV role came in 2012 with the Australian adventure series Conspiracy 365, and she went on to star in Winners and Losers, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Jack Irish and Dead Lucky. She also starred in American shows, HBO’s The Leftovers and Hunters.
Who did Anna Samson play in Home and Away?
Her biggest role until now was in the soap Home and Away. She played Mia Anderson from February 2021 to April 2022 – a single mother to Chloe.
During her brief but memorable time in Summer Bay, she ends up assisting Chloe (Sam Barrett) in concealing the murder of her father and marrying Ari. (Rob Kipa-Williams), the man who was willing to take the blame.
Mia departs after he passes away as everything in the town reminds her of him.
Who is Anna Samson's character in Return to Paradise?
Anna will portray DI Mackenzie Clarke in the six-part series, which will be filmed in Sydney and the picturesque Illawarra coastal region.
Her character is an Australian expatriate who rose through the ranks at London's Metropolitan Police by solving unsolvable murder cases. However, when she is accused of tampering with evidence, Mackenzie packs her bags and returns to 'the last place she ever wanted to be' – her hometown of Dolphin Cove.
Upon her return, it is evident she's unwelcome, as six years earlier, she dramatically left her former fiancé Glenn (Tai Hara) at the altar.
With no other employment options and bills to pay, she must use her unique talent for solving a mystery at the Dolphin Cove Police Station.
When a case comes her way, she won't give up until the culprit is in handcuffs. It's her unquestionable abilities and strong work ethic that will help Mackenzie win over the people of Dolphin Cove.
After the casting announcement, she posted on Instagram stories: 'Been absolutely dying to tell everyone where I've disappeared to and why my hair is this color. Thanks for all the love. Paradise here we come.' Anna previously had blonde hair before dyeing it red for the role.
The franchise's second spin-off, following Kris Marshall’s DI Humphrey setting up a new life in Devon in Beyond Paradise, will have a 'distinct Australian style'.
Co-Creator and Executive Producer Peter Mattessi says: 'I'm extremely excited to welcome Producer Di Haddon and our two fantastic directors Mat King and Tenika Smith who are coming together with our incredible cast to bring the world of Return to Paradise to life.
We are thoroughly enjoying creating this brand-new mystery series that adds an Australian touch to one of the world's most successful television franchises. We believe audiences in Australia, the UK, and around the world will fall in love with our wonderful characters, our intriguing whodunits, and our stunning coastal Australian locations.'
Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso, Nolly), Tai Hara (Home and Away, Colin From Accounts, Austin), Catherine McClements (Total Control, Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries), Celia Ireland (Wentworth, Total Control), Andrea Demetriades (Mother and Son, The Artful Dodger) and Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers, Preppers) will complete the rest of the cast.
Return to Paradise will be shown on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year
