Beyond Paradise teases Martha love Drama with surprise ex-Star return

Martha (Sally Bretton) stands on the seafront, making a call on her mobile phone and looking distressed

(Image credit: Red Planet Pictures/Joss Barratt)

Beyond Paradise season 3 has begun filming and the makers have teased there could be love drama ahead for Martha.

DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) and Martha (Sally Bretton) almost tied the knot at the end of the last series but they thought Martha's mother had taken over the wedding too much and axed it at the final moment.

Now, it's been revealed that Jamie Bamber, who featured in the first season, will be back in Shipton Abbott as Martha's charming ex Archie Hughes.

Martha (Sally Bretton) and Archie (Jamie Bamber) stand in front of the counter at Martha's café Ten Mile Kitchen. Martha has her hands clasped in front of her, and Archie is casually leaning on the counter. — Could Martha (Sally Bretton) have an affair with Archie (Jamie Bamber)? (Image credit: BBC)

Archie previously made it clear that he had feelings for Martha and with Martha and Humphrey still not married he might think the path is clear for him to make another pass at Martha.

Teasing the plot for the third series, the BBC says: "Set against the idyllic backdrops of Devon and Cornwall, there are plenty of cases to keep the team on their toes, including a body found in the river on the county border, a baffling chocolate box poisoning, a historic farming feud and a spiking incident on the water.

"Away from the police station, Martha and Humphrey must overcome unexpected hurdles as foster parents, while the reappearance of Martha’s old flame Archie presents an unexpected challenge. While Esther navigates a surprise encounter in her private life, a health scare for Anne stirs up painful memories, and Kelby embarks on a journey of personal growth."

Tim Key, Executive Producer, Red Planet Pictures, adds: "We are delighted to be back in the beautiful South West, filming what promises to be our strongest series yet, packed full of mysteries, surprises, challenges and lots of heart. We love making the show and the audience response to it is fantastic, and it’s especially exciting to welcome back Jamie Bamber to Shipton Abbott — we can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been up to."

Beyond Paradise season 2 main cast shot — All the key cast are returning (Image credit: BBC)

It's been confirmed that all the key cast are back with Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams, Dylan Llewellyn as PC Kelby Hartford, Barbara Flynn as Anne Lloyd, Felicity Montagu as Margo Martins, Jade Harrison as CS Charlie Woods, and Melina Sinadinou as Zoe Williams.

Beyond Paradise season 3 will air in early 2025. Meanwhile, there's also a Death in Paradise spin-off, Return to Paradise, to look forward to and Death in Paradise season 14. All in all it’s a very exciting time to be a Death in Paradise fan.

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough.

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!