Actress Anna Samson has opened up about the not-so-glamorous filming conditions of the spin-off series Return to Paradise before its hotly-anticipated launch.
On Morning Live, the 34-year-old joined presenters Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones on Monday, November 19, via video link, shedding light on how the Australian adaptation of Return to Paradise differs from the British hit Death in Paradise.
Filming Down Under, the show’s glamour seemed questionable, with Skelton and Jones probing about the set’s allure. However, Samson quickly dispelled any glitzy misconceptions with a straightforward “No.”
She elaborated that despite appearances, filming is arduous: “No, it’s not that glamourous, you know shooting is a lot of hard work, and I’m set quite a lot in this show, so it’s a decent amount of hard slog.”
Further explaining, she added that the sunny, warm visuals were deceiving: “Also, it looks warmer and sunnier than it is. You know, it’s the magic of television. We were on the coast of New South Wales, it’s very windy,” reports .
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The new spin-off show airs this week (Image: BBC)
Discussing the differences in the series itself, Samson pointed out a specific contrast relating to her character: “Another departure from the original show is that this detective has quite long hair, so the wind was not our friend, and you know when you’re shooting a show, continuity is important.”
Samson gestured to her hair as she alluded to the challenges posed by the erratic weather: “You can’t have this bit of hair up here for one shot and down here for another, so yeah, we were kind of battling the tempestuous weather quite a lot.”
Return to Paradise centres around DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson), an Australian expatriate who has made a significant impact in London’s Metropolitan Police by solving seemingly impossible murder cases.
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Anna Samson appeared on Morning Live (Image: BBC)
However, when she is accused of evidence tampering in London, Mackenzie finds herself returning to Australia, specifically her hometown of Dolphin Cove – the last place she ever wanted to be.
Having left the town six years prior, notably jilting her ex-fiance Glenn at the altar, Mackenzie isn’t exactly welcomed with open arms.
This becomes apparent in the opening scenes of the new series, where she is promptly ejected from her taxi once the driver recognises her and recalls the reason for her abrupt departure.
Return to Paradise airs Friday, November 22 at 8pm on One.