It's another Christmas of singledom on Saint Marie for the hangdog detective Neville Parker (Ralf Little), but at least there's the welcome diversion of a dubious death to keep his mind occupied over turkey and stuffing. It can only be the Death in Paradise Christmas Special, which is going out in its now-familiar Boxing Day slot.
You can watch the 2023 Death in Paradise Christmas Special for FREE in the UK on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. But don't worry if you're on holiday while it's on, because you can watch Death in Paradise on iPlayer from anywhere with a VPN.
Time: 9 pm UK / 4 pm ET / 1 pm PT / 8 am AEDT (Wed)
UK: BBC iPlayer (free with TV licence)
US: N/A
AU: BBC First/Foxtel
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
Homicide isn't Neville's only distraction, with his mother Melanie — deliciously played by Doon Mackichan (Smack the Pony) — arriving on the island for some seasonal sunshine. The indomitable matriarch is soon playing cupid to her lovelorn son and, before long, herself. No eligible bachelor on Saint Marie is safe from Melanie's attention!
Things are rather more serious down at the station after businessman Gerry Stableforth (Geoff Bell) is found dead in not unsuspicious circumstances. Small screen icon Patsy Kensit (Emmerdale) guest stars as his wife Bella. Could she and their grieving children Benjamin (Freddy Carter), Mariana (Amelia Clarkson), and niece Riley (Leila Khan) really be suspects? And how will the plot thicken when another disappearance takes place?
The festive feature-length episode follows Christmas Eve's Beyond Paradise Christmas Special [[INSERT HTW LINK]] and prefaces a brand new series of Death in Paradise, which we're expecting to air in January.
Hitting the UK Christmas TV schedule on Boxing Day, here's how to watch this year's Death in Paradise Christmas Special from anywhere in the world and for free — we've got all the streaming information you'll need below.
How to watch Death in Paradise Christmas Special 2023 in the UK
Can I watch Death in Paradise Holiday Special 2023 in the US?
Strangely, the latest Death in Paradise Holiday special isn't listed among the titles coming to BritBox in December 2023.
It's particularly peculiar considering regular episodes of Death in Paradise are shown on BritBox and as the festive edition of its spin-off, Beyond Paradise, is coming to the service on Christmas Eve.
How to watch Death in Paradise Christmas Special 2023 in Australia
The Death in Paradise Christmas Special is going out on BBC First in Australia. So if you have Foxtel, you'll be able to watch it at 7.30 pm AEDT on Wednesday, December 27.
Subscribers to a Fetch TV Ultimate or Variety Pack will also be able to stream it on demand.
The episode is also scheduled to land on BritBox in Australia on January 9.
How to watch Death in Paradise Christmas Special from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch Death in Paradise on the streaming services above by using a VPN — no matter where you are in the world.
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What is the Death in Paradise Christmas Special 2023 release date?
The 90-minute Death in Paradise Christmas Special airs on BBC One in the UK at 9 pm on Boxing Day (Tuesday, December 26) 2023. It will also be available to stream on the network's BBC iPlayer website and apps.
It will be shown on BBC First at 7.30 pm AEDT on Wednesday, December 27 in Australia. No release date has been announced in the US.
All you need to know about Death in Paradise Christmas Special
What is the cast of Death in Paradise Christmas Special 2023?
- Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker
- Shantol Jackson as DS Naomi Thomas
- Tahj Miles as Officer Marlon Pryce
- Elizabeth Bourgine as Catherine Bordey
- Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson
- Ginny Holder as Darlene Curtis
- Patsy Kensit as Bella Stableforth
- Doon Mackichan as Melanie Parker
- Youssef Kerkour as Dave
- Geoff Bell as Gerry Stableforth
- Bronagh Waugh as Debbie Clumson
- Amelia Clarkson as Mariana Stableforth
- Freddy Carter as Benjamin Stableforth
- Leila Khan as Riley
- Wade Briggs as Jamie Shaw
Will there be Death in Paradise season 13?
After 12 seasons, Death in Paradise is still going strong — season 13 will follow in 2024. In fact, season 14 has also been confirmed, so Death in Paradise will continue into 2025.
At the time of writing, no start date has been confirmed for Death in Paradise season 13, but we'd expect it to air in January 2024. Not long to wait!
What is the new spin-off of Death in Paradise?
In addition to sister show Beyond Paradise, a second spin-off Return to Paradise has also been commissioned and will see the action move Down Under to Australia.
Where is Death in Paradise filmed and does Saint Marie exist?
Saint Marie is a fictional Caribbean island. Filming for Death in Paradise actually takes place on the island of Guadeloupe.
