Kris Marshall can’t wipe the smile off his face on set of Death in Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise

Kris Marshall was first spotted on the set of the Death in Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise on Wednesday.

The actor, 49, couldn’t wipe the smile from his face and pottered around the set in Cornwall between takes.

Kris will reprise his role as DI Humphrey Goodman in the new BBC show, having left the original series in 2017 to spend more time with his family.

Kris, known for his roles in Love Actually and ITV’s Sanditon, looked casual in navy blue trousers, a light blue shirt and green blazer.

He wore a navy blue puffer jacket on top to keep warm from the cold.

The actor mingled with the crew on set and at one point threw a squeegee in the air, having a ball while keeping himself company.

In February 2017, Kris retired from his lead role as Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman in Death In Paradise, after four years on the BBC programme.

He told Good Morning Britain at the time that the decision had been made to spend more time with his family after the birth of his daughter, leaving him “deprived” while filming in the Caribbean.

He was replaced by Father Ted funny Ardal O’Hanlan on the show, who played Detective Inspector Jack Mooney.

‘I loved it. It’s time to move on and give someone else some sun. I’m still not sure if I made the right decision,” he told GMB at the time.

“It’s great and I’ve been filming in London ever since and there’s a moment when you’re out in the cold and think, ‘Why aren’t I in flip flops in the Caribbean?’

He admitted that he struggled to be away from his family because of the filming, saying: “For the past few years I’ve been able to take them with me, but we had a daughter and I did this last series on my own. I got robbed by skyping.’

About the arrival of his replacement, he said: ‘Ardal is in this series. We’ll meet him tonight. He arrives as our colleague in London and he is fantastic.

‘The transfer was planned, it was not forced on him! It’s the show’s first time leaving the island. It’s the first time we’ve had a double episode, which is a sign of confidence in the show.”

Of course, fans reacted quickly to the news, with Twitter users flooding the microblogging site to lament the departure.

Speaking of his return in the spin-off, Kris said Death of Paradise’s ending has been “turned upside down.”

‘It continues from where we left Humphrey Goodman and Martha’ [Sally Bretton]with their new rural lifestyle in the Southwest,” he said radio times last month.

“The classic Death in Paradise way of wrapping up the show is getting a bit upside down – not every episode is a murder – so more sheep rustling and that sort of thing! It puts a twist on the English Riviera show that people know and love. Who needs the Caribbean?’ he added.

According to IMDB, the synopsis for Beyond Paradise reads: ‘After leaving paradise and seeking a quieter life, Humphrey has taken a DI position in betrothed Martha’s hometown. But with the high crime rates, it might be louder than expected.”