With Beyond Paradise taking place in Devon, not the tropical Caribbean of the series it’s a spin-off of Death in Paradise, we’re introduced to a whole new host of characters that’ll help (or hinder) DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) catch the killers.
One of these is Office Support Margo Martins, who’s played by Felicity Montagu.
You might be wondering who this Margo Martins is — well, let’s settle down and find out.
Who is Office Support Margo Martins in Beyond Paradise?
According to the BBC‘s profile for Margo Martins, she’s the classic "aging cop who wants to retire soon", with a sharp tongue and quick anger.
As the name suggests, Office Support isn’t a front-line role, unlike the officers she works with.
But beyond the hard exterior is a soft interior, and Martins has seen her fair share of heartbreak — she’s "buried three husbands, two dogs and eleven cats", which is a track record enough to make husband number four or cat number 12 worried.
While she may not admit it, she’s also come to view her current police team as a replacement family, which is why she’s never retired despite frequently threatening to. But like all families, she’s wary of new joiners, which is why she’s initially cold to Humphrey Goodman when he joins and threatens to turn the playbook on its head.
Talking about Margo's relationship with the team, Felicity says: "On the surface, she's very tough on everyone and she doesn't really want to give much away about herself. Underneath it all, I think she lives for them. She has a very interesting life and nobody quite knows what Margo gets up to but she's very fond of them all in her own way.
"I think she would probably go to the ends of the earth for them. It's quite heart-rending because she hasn't got a massive family homelife, this is her job and she's very, very proud to be there. Although she does have a great social life. I don’t think she would show the team, but she's very loyal to them. She's a very loyal animal."
Where have I seen Felicity Montagu before?
Fans of British TV will immediately recognise Felicity Montagu from the various Alan Partridge shows and sketches, as she plays his enduring assistant Lynn Benfield, a role she’s filled many times for over 20 years.
Montagu has been in other popular British shows too and you may recognise her from Nighty Night, Doc Martin, The Tunnel and The Durrells. Film fans may know her from roles in Bridget Jones’ Diary, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People and the Dad’s Army film from 2016.
On the character, Montagu said Martins “has a very interesting life and nobody quite knows what Margo gets up to but she's very fond of them all in her own way […] I don’t think she would show the team, but she's very loyal to them. She's a very loyal animal.“
Beyond Paradise is being shown on BBC One.
