Death in Paradise returned on Sunday, and fans of the crime drama were excited to see Hayley Mills in her guest appearance.
The legendary actress starred alongside staple characters Neville Parker (played by Ralf Little) and the rest of the BBC drama’s cast as nursing home resident Nancy Martin.
However, her debut on the show ended up sparking fury among fans after she was killed off just minutes into the programme.
After a row broke out between Martin and her enemy Barbara (Ellie Haddington) during a heated game of bingo, she walked away from the others, alone.
The iconic actress appeared in the BBC crime drama show
BBC
However, she was soon discovered dead after being stabbed with a knitting needle, leaving the Saint Marie residents stunned and the detectives having to get to work to find out who the killer was.
Fans were baffled by the early departure of the iconic actress though and it didn’t take long for them to take to Twitter to question the plot decision.
One penned: “Hayley Mills getting killed off after 10 mins. #DeathInParadise,” while another echoed this, writing: “OMG they just had Hayley Mills murdered in #DeathInParadise.”
Another viewer added: “Hayley Mills got a slightly easy role in this!! Cushy filming number !!#deathinparadise.”
“You KILLED Hayley Mills! Nooooo! #DeathInParadise,” a stunned fourth fan exclaimed.
Another joked: “#DeathInParadise Lesson learned. Don’t say they won’t kill Hayley Mills’ character because it’s Hayley Mills…..”
Death in Paradise fans weren’t pleased with the way the plot unfolded
BBC
“I know they have not just killed Hayley Mills off in the first 5mins? #DeathInParadise,” (sic) a sixth complained.
Elsewhere, Death in Paradise fans are still wondering if leading man Little will remain in the series for much longer.
As the fourth detective of the long-running series, Little has become the longest-serving protagonist and, while his character is much-loved among fans, many continue to speculate he could soon be replaced.
In a recent episode, Parker glanced at a picture of his former colleague, Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert), who left the series in 2022.
Death in Paradise fans have also been wondering how long Little will stay in the drama
BBC
This was the latest detail leading viewers to suggest Little’s time could soon be up if his character reunited with his friend.
Previous detectives on the show have starred for around two seasons, so it’s not a surprise that fans are gearing up for Little, who has been in the role for five series now, to potentially announce his departure soon.
While he and BBC bosses haven’t said anything about him leaving just yet, viewers continue to speculate whether or not another famous face will take over the role of the tropical island drama series.