Anna Samson is the first Death in Paradise franchise female lead and she has clearly loved every minute of being a part of the show as she plays DI Mackenzie Clarke

Filming has wrapped up on Return to Paradise, the eagerly awaited Australian spin-off of the hit murder mystery series Death in Paradise and for one of the stars it's all too much.

Anna Samson, who plays DI Mackenzie Clarke, updated fans on the progress of the show ad says she's a little heartbroken. The BBC revealed that this series would be the first in the franchise to star a female lead, following the surprising exit of Ralf Little's character DI Neville Parker at the conclusion of the original show's thirteenth series.

The actress - known for her role as Mia Anderson in Home and Away - clearly loved her time and she gushed about the experience of working alongside her co-stars. Taking to Instagram, she wrote: "I got to spend the last three months with these three lads.

"I love them more than I can say. We wrapped our show this week and my heart is broken that they will no longer be contractually obliged to spend time with me." Fans are already excited and one told her: "So looking forward to seeing you all on screen, bringing Death to life down under."

Anna was unveiled as the main character DI Clarke, an Aussie expat who had previously tackled some of the Metropolitan Police's toughest cases while residing in London. After being accused of evidence tampering, she leaves the UK to return to her homeland Australia, where she starts solving some intriguing mysteries.

Viewers are set to witness DI Clarke's somewhat challenging return to Australia, which occurs six years after she left her fiance Glenn - played by fellow Home and Away star Tai Hara - at the altar. Cop Liu is heading down under in a new job at the Dolphin Cove Police Station, a marked departure from her time at the Met Police.

The six-episode series promises to be every bit as exciting as its parent show. Peter Mattessi, the co-creator and Executive Producer couldn't hide his excitement saying, "I'm beyond excited to welcome Producer Di Haddon and our two fabulous directors Mat King and Tenika Smith who are coming together with our amazing cast to bring the world of Return to Paradise to life.

"We are having so much fun creating this brand-new mystery series that brings an Australian twist to one of the globe's most successful television franchises. We think audiences in Australia, UK and around the world are going to fall in love with our wonderful characters, our delicious whodunits, and our gorgeous coastal Australian locations."

Death in Paradise's remarkable track record of success speaks volumes for its offshoots. The hugely popular Beyond Paradise is testament to this, with its 2023 debut featuring the comic wizard Kris Marshall playing DI Humphrey Goodman in Shipton Abbott in Devon.