Death In Paradise continues on Thursday at 9pm 

Death in Paradise is back for an eighth series! What can we expect this time round?

It’s the best series since the very beginning, to me anyway! It’s very different from all the others. We have love, drama, action, new characters, amazing guest actors, as always, and it’s something I’m very proud of. Episodes five and six are especially more intense so I can’t wait for people to watch!

Where do we find Florence at the beginning of the series? Has anything changed since we last saw her?

At the beginning of the series we find out that she’s dating a lovely guy, Patrice, it’s a brand new relationship; the other characters don’t know anything about it. She’s a bit afraid to tell them because she’s not really sure yet that it’s going to be a serious relationship. Florence is taking her time and she’s waiting for the right moment. We’re going to learn a bit more about Florence this year, both within her private life and work life. She will still be that strong independent woman that she has always been despite being in a relationship, and that’s what I love about her storyline.

How long have they been together?

We don’t really know how long but it’s still new, maybe two or three months.

What does Patrice think about her job?

Patrice is really respectful and he knows that it is very important for her. Florence is very clear about the fact that it’s her career, she doesn’t want him to interfere so he needs to trust her; she knows what she’s doing. Florence wants to keep the professional, professional and the personal, personal. That’s why she’s still the same person as she’s always been.

What is the relationship like between Florence and Jack? They seem to really get on and work well together.

Florence and Jack get on so well! They are so cute together. We have a fun scene where we have a few drinks together, which I really enjoyed. I don’t drink and haven’t since I was younger so trying to remember what it feels like and act drunk was fun. Of course, we can’t drink on set so we used a mix of apple juice and water!

Can you tell us anything about the cases that feature this series?

There is one episode where there is murder in the zoo which was fun to film. There’s also one on a bus which is pretty cool and another where Patrice finds himself involved. There is an episode, where the island hosts a swimming competition and that was hilarious to shoot, running and jumping in the sea is always fun because it’s so hot in Guadeloupe!

Did you have a favourite episode to film?

It was definitely episodes five and six. I had so much fun! I remember waking up in the morning knowing I had a very intense scene to film and I was so excited. Tobi, Shyko, Ardal and I had so much fun filming this series, and the crew were great, we were filming something very different in those episodes and the set was amazing.

The scripts for each episode of Death in Paradise are full of twists and turns. Do you ever guess correctly who the murderer is without peeking at the end? Who is the best at working out who did it?

I don’t even try to, I just read the script, I want to be like the audience and follow the story as each episode develops. There was an episode last year featuring a miracle healer, I remember reading it and at the end I was like ‘no way!’ I was so shocked to find out who the killer was. It’s always full of twists so it’s very difficult to guess. I do live tweets when the show is on TV in the UK and there are not that many people who guess who the killer is. That’s one of the things that is so ingenious about the show.

You’re no stranger to the Caribbean sunshine. What’s it like filming in such a beautiful place in the world?

It can be difficult. When I was 20 it was okay for me to just leave home for a month and be alone and do my own thing. Now I like to be near my family, my friends, my boyfriend. It’s a beautiful place but you do miss your family. It’s a beautiful island, with beautiful beaches. I have a lovely pool, an amazing view so I just swim in the pool, lay in the sun. I can’t complain!

What were the biggest challenges you all faced during the shoot?

Florence is a very secret character so I’ve never had to portray intense emotions such as anger or fear, or being deeply in love so for me the biggest challenge was to portray those emotions. It was great to dig deep inside and bring all those emotions out. It was a challenge but I loved it

Do you have any favourite moments from set that you can share with us?

It’s funny every day. It’s difficult to choose because anytime I’m with the cast on set we just have so much fun together, we laugh so hard it I sometimes have tears in my eyes!

What are you most looking forward to the audience seeing this series?

Two things; the first is the new officer Ruby Patterson, she is so much fun and the audience will love her. Shyko, who plays Ruby, is fantastic! She’s so adorable. I call her ‘mon petit bon bon’, which means my little candy because she’s so cute. The second is episodes five and six which is a double part episode.