Death in Paradise star Ben Miller has returned to screens in the BBC series12:29, 18 Jul 2026Updated 12:34, 18 Jul 2026It is fair to say Ben Miller has never been busier – and his fans could not be happier about it.‌The much-loved actor, who first captured the nation's hearts as the uptight and hopelessly out-of-place DI Richard Poole in Death in Paradise, is back on screens in his acclaimed BBC comedy Austin, which has just dropped its eagerly awaited second series on iPlayer.‌Ben wasted no time in sharing the news with his followers, posting a video to Instagram in which he could barely contain his excitement. "Hello there, I just wanted to let you know that season two of Austin is finally out on the BBC," he told fans. "It's on iPlayer, there it is. There we go, season two available on iPlayer right now!"‌In the series, Ben plays Julian Hartswood, a children's author whose career is sent into a tailspin by a social media scandal. Episodes three and four of the new run, which aired last night, are now available to watch.Of course, for many viewers, Ben will always be synonymous with his scene-stealing turn as DI Richard Poole.‌He was part of Death in Paradise from its very first episode in 2011, and his gloriously awkward chemistry with the laid-back islanders became one of the show's most beloved running jokes.His exit, when it came at the start of series three in 2014, was as dramatic as it was unexpected – the character was killed off in a move that left audiences stunned. Kris Marshall stepped into the breach as DI Humphrey Goodman.Ben has been branded the show's "best detective" by many fans, and following his return to TV, the response from viewers was nothing short of electric, with one writing: "I have been patiently waiting for Austin series 2! Absolutely love it."‌One shared: "So glad to see you back on screens, miss you on Death in Paradise, you were the best detective."Another kept things simple but heartfelt: "Love Austin and agree you really were the best."‌But Austin is far from Ben's only string to his bow right now. The actor is also set to return to ITV's Professor T, and he has released another book, an adult thriller, titled A Very Dangerous Pursuit.Content cannot be displayed without consentThe novel sees Ben reimagining the protagonist of John Buchan's legendary spy classic The Thirty-Nine Steps in a "rip-roaring story of international intrigue, enchantresses and master criminals from the streets of Constantinople to the decks of the Titanic".Article continues belowSpeaking previously on BBC Breakfast about his new project, Ben said, "I wanted to write a thriller. I love thrillers. I wanted to write a really dynamic thriller. This one's set in 1912, so it's the very, very beginning of all the technology that we love in spy stories."The main character, he takes one of the very first airplane flights in this pursuit that he goes on. He rides on one of the very first motorbikes. He's basically given an object in a bizarre way in Constantinople that turns out to have some kind of secret."All episodes of Austin series two are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.