Death In Paradise star Ben Miller opens up on new comedy series

Ben Miller has opened up about his new project with the BBC. The Death In Paradise star has spilled the beans on his latest comedic project, Austin. The series consists of eight parts and Ben stars alongside Sally Phillips and Michael Theo, which has now been acquired by the BBC.

Fans will recall Ben's memorable role as DI Richard Poole on Death In Paradise, and he has wowed audiences with his lead performance in ITV's Professor T, along with big appearances in Suspect and his comedy partnership, Armstrong and Miller.

In this new comedy, Austin, Ben takes up the role of beloved children's author Julian Hartswood, who finds himself at the centre of a social media furore. It appears that Julian and his wife Ingrid (played by Sally Phillips), also his illustrator, might see their careers topple following the scandal after he gets cancelled online.

However, when Julian's neurodivergent son Austin (Michael Theo) - whom Julian was previously unaware existed - shows up, it creates an opportunity for redemption. Wanting to mend things with Ingrid while attempting to handle Austin, Julian is certainly facing a challenge.

Speaking on The Chris McCausland Show, Ben revealed: "I play a children's author - I'm part of a team with Sally Phillips, who plays my wife. She illustrates and I write a series of books called Big Bear. We're about to depart to Australia on a book tour. I tweet something before we take off and by the time we land, I've been cancelled."

The series, crafted by Northern Pictures and Lincoln Pictures, has been snapped up for BBC iPlayer and TV broadcast through ITV Studios. It features Gia Carides and Roy Billing and marks Michael Theo's acting debut after his successful docuseries Love on the Spectrum, reports Wales Online.

Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, hailed the series as "irresistibly charming, humorous and heart-warming, BBC viewers are sure to find Austin a sheer delight from start to finish".

Catherine Nebauer, Head of Scripted at Northern Pictures, added: "BBC is the perfect platform for Austin and we have no doubts its viewers will appreciate the clever blend of British and Australian humour. With a stellar cast and production team, Austin has already proven to be a hit on ABC with local audiences and we can't wait to share it with the world."

Ben Miller, who won hearts as DI Richard Poole on Death In Paradise, has since passed the baton to a succession of stars including Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman, Ardal O'Hanlon portraying DI Jack Mooney, and Ralf Little stepping into the shoes of DI Neville Parker. The latest to join this illustrious line-up as the new detective is EastEnders' Don Gilet.