The Good Ship Murder series 2 embarks in January 2025, but it's not plain sailing for lead characters Jack and Kate in the Channel 5 cosy crime drama.

Those of you who watched series 1, which first landed in October 2023, will know that it's the love child of Death in Paradise, Eldorado, and The Cruise - if that baby was covered in cheese.

It's camp, it's sunny, and it's an easy watch for a Friday night in front of the TV with some heavily-dosed cocktails.

Here's everything you need to know about The Good Ship Murder series 2, including cast, plot, and start date.

What is The Good Ship Murder on Channel 5 about?

The Good Ship Murder is a cosy crime drama that follows cruise ship singer Jack Grayling. He has traded his old life on the police force for a new adventure on the high seas... But when murders disturb the tranquility of the ship, Jack's detective instincts kick back in.

He teams up with the ship's First Officer Kate Woods, and together they dive into the cases - navigating both clues and their undeniable chemistry.

Every episode sees the pair travel to a new country, and investigate a new mystery...

Who is Jack's daughter?

As the Channel 5 series returns with episode one of series 2, we see Jack invite Kate for a romantic evening at the opera during their stop in Rome.

However, the arrival of his estranged 18-year-old daughter Mia throws his plans into "chaos"...

The synopsis from C5 tells us: "As Jack investigates the murder of an opera troupe member, the situation spirals out of control when Mia runs away with a suspect from the investigation."

It turns out that Mia is on a mission. With her parents' divorce looming, she's determined to reunite them at any cost. And that most definitely means sabotaging Jack and Kate's blossoming relationship.

Meanwhile, in episode 1, Kate is anxious about her upcoming job interview for ship's captain.

How many episodes is The Good Ship Murder series 2?

The Good Ship Murder series 2 is seven episodes, not including the Christmas special which aired in December. That's considered a standalone episode.

Each episode is one hour long, including ad breaks. Series 1 was eight episodes in total, too, and all are available to watch on My5 along with the Christmas special.

Who is in the cast?

Singer and actor Shayne Ward returns as Jack Grayling in the cast of The Good Ship Murder series 2. Of course, he's best known for winning The X Factor in 2005, playing Aidan Connor in Coronation Street, and taking part in Strictly 2024.

Actress Catherine Tyldesley reprises her role of Kate Woods. She's most famous for playing Eva Price in Coronation Street. Soap fans will know that Shayne and Catherine's characters were romantically linked, much like their alter-egos in The Good Ship Murder.

Standing by Jack and Kate is Jamil, the spirited ship steward and Jack's loyal confidant, who isn't shy about nudging them together. Zak Douglas stars as Jamil Al-Rashid, and he's perhaps best known for playing Mo Fassi in G'wed, and Dudley in The Larkins.

Geoffrey Breton portrays Piers De Vreese. He previously played Mark Phillips in The Crown.

Ross Adams - aka Scott Drinkwell in Hollyoaks - joins the cast as Colin Smallwood, replacing Claire Sweeney's cruise director Beverley. She left the C5 series due to a scheduling conflict with Coronation Street, where she plays Cassie Plummer.

Millie Kent stars as Jack's estranged teenage daughter Mia Grayling in The Good Ship Murder series 2 episode 1. She's played Innes in The Split, India in Netflix film Saltburn, and Valerie Nook in Doctor Who.

Greg Canestrari stars as Alessandro Bertoli, Tamsin Carroll plays Bella Bertoli, Harry Giubileo guest stars as Nick Greenleigh, and Elena Delia plays Sofia Romano.

Lastly, Mario Opinato stars as Inspector Moretti, and James Barriscale plays Captain Marlowe.

Where is The Good Ship Murder filmed?

The Channel 5 floating detective series is actually filmed on a cruise ship with real paying passengers! Cast and crew took over the MSC Virtuosa, a working cruise ship that sails out of Southampton.

The cruise ship sails to destinations in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Like fellow Channel 5 cosy crimes The Wives and The Madame Blanc Mysteries, a large portion of The Good Ship Murder is filmed in Malta. In series 2, episode 1 is set in Rome, with episode 2 set in Gran Canaria.

Shayne Ward explained: "I think at one point [in series 1], there were around 6,000 passengers on board. At the time, it was the UK school break, and then they got off and it was the Scottish school break, so it was quite a busy ship."

He added: "Because they're there for a full cruise, they paid for it, and they let us know that they paid for it, which is funny. And they will be in the background sometimes. They'll be on sun loungers, sometimes you'll get the same people coming back [as extras]."

Meanwhile, Catherine said: "It gave us that real sense of what it's like to be on a ship full of 6,000 people when you can't get off."

How to watch The Good Ship Murder in the UK?

The Good Ship Murder series 1 is currently available to watch on My5. The 2024 Christmas special is also on there to watch for free.

Series 2 episodes will go up on My5 after every episode on Friday nights throughout January and February.

The Good Ship Murder series 2 starts on Friday, January 10, 2024 at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5.