Death in Paradise was supposed to star unlikely TV legend - but he turned it down after finding love
ok.co.ukDeath in Paradise burst onto BBC One back in 2011 with Ben Miller - who starred as neurotic detective Richard Poole - becoming the first of many actors to lead the show.
However, a very different British star was originally cast as DI Richard, show creator Robert Thorogood has revealed. The screenwriter and novelist, who is promoting the latest book in his Marlow Murder Club series The Queen of Poisons, revealed in an exclusive chat with OK!
that Would I Lie To You panellist and Peep Show star David Mitchell was originally cast as Richard Poole. However, David dropped out of the project to pursue a romance with his now-wife Victoria Coren-Mitchell. "David was originally pencilled in to be the lead in Death in Paradise," Robert said. "When the show was green lit, he was attached, but it was about then that he'd fallen in love with Victoria. "He was very, very polite about it as you can imagine and said, 'I'm really sorry, but I can't go to the Caribbean for six months.
I've just started dating Vicky Coren.' So he threw over his work to pursue his love life. "I'm not sure that I've asked him [to go on Death in Paradise] since because he's been so busy.
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