Death In Paradise stalwart Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, portrayed by Don Warrington, has been a constant presence on the sun-soaked island of Saint Marie, much to the delight of fans who are eager for him to stay.
Yet, recent twists in Selwyn's storyline have sparked concerns he might be written out of the show. Last week's episode saw the Chief Commissioner from Jamaica warn Selwyn about potential redundancy due to budget constraints.
Despite seeking support from the mayor, Selwyn was left high and dry, culminating in a drunken outburst at Darlene (Ginny Holder) and a sombre announcement to his team about his impending exit.
"I have been keeping something from you which... on the advice of a trusted friend, I have decided to share with you all. The position of Saint Marie's Police Commissioner is being phased out, and I am being phased out," he disclosed.
In the latest instalment, further details emerged regarding Selwyn's fate. While the team delved into a poisoning case at a distillery and DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) relished his new air conditioning and satellite TV, Darlene fretted over the Commissioner's future, reports the Mirror.
Meanwhile, Sebastian (Shaquille Ali-Yebuah) hatched a plan with Catherine to launch a petition to reinstate Selwyn. After Catherine sent the online petition to Selwyn, it became clear just how valued he is by the island community, hinting that there might be hope for him yet.
Commissioner Selwy has been a part of the show since its inception in October 2011. He is one of only three characters to have appeared in every series, alongside Catherine and lizard Harry.
Throughout his tenure, he has witnessed Richard Poole (Ben Miller), Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), Jack Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) and Neville Parker (Ralf Little) all take on the role of Saint Marie's detective inspector before the arrival of current DI Mervin Wilson.
Despite having the support of the island, some fans speculate that Patterson could be leaving the show, with rumours suggesting that Danny John-Jules' character, Officer Dwayne Myers, might return to Saint Marie as a potential replacement. Myers was last seen in the Christmas episode.
The BBC and actor Don Warrington have not given any indication about Patterson's future on the show. However, in a recent interview with Radio Times, Warrington expressed his satisfaction at working on a show that now boasts an entirely black key cast following the introduction of Don Gilet as lead detective, viewing it as a positive change.
He said: "One is tentative about these things, because if we look at it in a broader political spectrum, the world is in a strange place at the moment. There's a lot of reactionary stuff going on. I think this kind of thing acts as an antidote to that. Whatever the intentions were in this, it's having a wholly positive reaction and that can't be celebrated enough."
Death in Paradise airs on BBC One on Fridays at 9pm
