The former Royle Family star announced back in March that the most recent series of Death In Paradise would be his last as DI Neville Parker.

Reacting to the news, Ralf shared a string of applauding emojis on X (formerly Twitter), adding: “Have a magical time Don.”

Speaking about his exit on BBC Breakfast last month, Ralf claimed: “If it was just a heart decision, I’d have wanted to do it for 20 more years.

“But just for the show, and for my character Neville, it just sort of felt like his story… it deserved to be finished, and his journey deserved to be completed and he deserved a nice happy ending. And so it just felt right.”

Don is perhaps best known for his performance as Lucas Johnson in EastEnders.

His other on-screen credits include Holby City, 55 Degrees North, the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas special and the Netflix series The Stranger.

Reacting to the news of his casting, Don said: “Being offered the new lead role in Death in Paradise feels like a deeply loved and incredibly precious jewel has been placed in my hands.

“This is a big show, with a big heart and the love continually grows for it. It is my intention to never lose sight of that and to remain grateful, humbled and dedicated.”