Ardal O’Hanlon is set to make his final appearance during this next series of BBC One ratings-smash Death In Paradise.

O’Hanlon joined the sun-soaked detective drama as D.I. Jack Mooney when the Caribbean police team followed a lead to London and ended up taking him back to the fictional island of Saint Marie.

However, after three years of leading the squad in solving the idyllic Island’s murder mysteries, O’Hanlon has made the decision to depart the sunny shores of Guadeloupe to explore other opportunities.

O’Hanlon says: “I’ve spent the last four summers in Guadeloupe playing DI Jack Mooney (solving over 20 murder cases in my time there!) It’s been a hugely rewarding and unforgettable experience, working with incredibly talented actors, directors and crew while discovering a magical part of the world. However, it’s time to move on and explore other opportunities - preferably nearer the Arctic Circle. I’m confident that Death In Paradise will go from strength to strength and viewers will share my enthusiasm for Jack’s successor!”

Ardal will leave screens during series nine, which transmits on BBC One from January 2020. However, viewers will need to tune in to see exactly how and why he departs.

Red Planet Pictures Executive Producer Tim Key says: “They say never meet your heroes, but working with Ardal is everything I could have hoped for. He’s a fantastic actor and a lovely man and we will all miss him enormously. We couldn’t be more grateful for his time as our lead detective and his story isn’t over yet - viewers will have to see how, why and when Jack Mooney leaves, but I don’t think there will be a dry eye in the house.”

Since launching in 2011, Death In Paradise remains one of television’s highest-rating dramas, with series eight pulling in an average of over seven million consolidated viewers.

Tommy Bulfin, Commissioning Editor, BBC Drama, adds: “We will be sad to say goodbye to DI Jack Mooney when the time comes, our audiences have loved the joy and humour he has brought to the Saint Marie police force over the last four series. Everyone at the BBC would like thank Ardal for his time on Death In Paradise but it’s not the end just yet; as one door closes another one opens, and we are very excited about what’s to come in the next chapter.”

Series ten of Death In Paradise has already been commissioned for BBC One by Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, and Piers Wenger, Controller of drama commissioning. Tim Key will continue to executive produce for Red Planet Pictures and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC. Death In Paradise is a Red Planet Pictures production, produced with the support of the region of Guadeloupe and distributed by BBC Studios.