The BBC’s hit detective drama, Return to Paradise, is returning for a third season. Filming is officially underway on the Australia-set Death in Paradise spin-off, which follows DS Mackenzie Clarke as she solves crimes and confronts her past after returning home to the sun-soaked fictional town of Dolphin Cove.

The popular, light-hearted, cosy crime series blends gripping whodunnits with a deeply character-driven narrative as Mackenzie is forced to face old feelings and her unresolved past. Since its debut in 2024, the drama has amassed a legion of loyal fans who have hailed the series as “excellent”.

© JOHN PLATT
Filming is underway on season three

The upcoming third season, which will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year, promises to return with six “compelling” episodes.

Intrigued? Keep reading to find out more…

WATCH: Have you caught up with season 2?

What to expect from season 3

The new episodes follow the dramatic series two finale, which saw Mackenzie (Anna Samson) forced to confront her lingering feelings for ex-fiancé Glenn Strong (Tai Hara), whose wedding was derailed after the death of a guest.

© John Platt
Tai Hara plays ex-fiancé Glenn Strong

In season three, DS Mackenzie Clarke is “determined never to follow her heart again,” having wrecked another of ex-fiancé Glenn’s weddings.

“But ignoring her heart won’t be easy,” read the synopsis. “The arrival of her force-of-nature mother Jillian (Kerry Armstrong) puts Mack’s mettle to the ultimate test and there’s something undeniable about the raffish charm of the new pathologist Leo (Jacob Collins). And as for Glenn, who has gone away to ‘find himself’, well that’s a whole other puzzle for Mack to try and solve.

“And, while Dolphin Cove may still look like paradise, it continues to serve up a steady stream of baffling murder mysteries – from the artist stabbed in full view of the public, to the wildlife worker dead in a locked cassowary cage. Mack will solve it all with her usual brilliance, and the off-beat help of her loyal team.”

Who else is returning for season 3?

Anna Samson will, of course, reprise her starring role as DS Mackenzie Clarke.

© Red Planet / BBC Studios / John Platt
Anna Samson plays Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Clarke

Speaking to HELLO! ahead of the second season, Anna opened up about being the lead of a drama. “It’s a kind of a strange, wonderful responsibility, but being that much of a show is not something I’ve experienced before,” said the actress.

“I have in theatre, but it’s an incredibly different medium, an incredibly different job. If you’re in a play, whether or not you’re the lead role, you’re at the theatre and you’re doing the whole thing – it’s different with film and TV. It’s a different working schedule,” Anna continued, adding that she and co-star Lloyd Griffith (Colin), both have a “huge workload”.

© John Platt
Senior Constable Colin Cartwright is played by Lloyd Griffith

Anna is joined by a number returning stars in season three, including Lloyd Griffith as Colin Cartwright, Tai Hara as Glenn Strong, Catherine McClements as Philomena Strong, Celia Ireland as Reggie Rocco and Aaron McGrath as Felix Wilkinson.

Who are the new cast members?

Viewers can look forward to a brilliant guest cast line up including Mark Lee (A Place to Call Home, La Brea), Tina Bursill (Strife, Doctor, Doctor), Ngali Shaw (Ladies in Black, The Twelve), Anthony Hayes (The Slap, Total Control), Zöe Ventura (Packed to the Rafters, Time Bandits), Zindzi Okenyo (Troppo, Critical Incident) and Matt Day (Rake, The Unusual Suspects).

© John Platt
Return to Paradise is returning with a third season

When will season 3 be released?

The BBC has yet to announce a release date for series three, but if previous seasons are anything to go by, we’d expect the new episodes to arrive around November.