The Good Ship Murder series 3: Cast, plot, release date and romance hopes for Jack and Kate
The third season kicks off with a Christmas theme
The Good Ship Murder series 3 is now ready to set sail on Channel 5, with a Christmas-themed episode kicking off the new run.
Crime-solving cruise ship workers Jack Grayling and Kate Woods – played by lead cast Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley – will be reunited as they face another grisly murder.
Plus, as with previous series, they will be joined by some very familiar guest stars. Read on for all the details!
When does The Good Ship Murder series 3 start?
The Good Ship Murder returns to Channel 5 on Saturday, December 27 at 9pm. There are eight episodes in the series.
Episode one will have a festive theme, but normal service will resume for the remaining seven episodes.
You can still watch last year’s festive episode on channel5.com and 5’s streaming service, along with the past two series of the show.
What happens in The Good Ship Murder series 3?
The first episode of the series will have a Christmas feel as the ship heads for Alicante. But, forget Yuletide sunshine and celebrations, because a web of deceit and destruction leads to another suspicious death, and it is up to Kate and Jack to find the killer.
The official synopsis for episode one says: “Donna, a woman claiming to suffer from a life-changing illness, boards the ship with her loyal friend, Bernie. As the festive voyage begins, Donna charms fellow passenger, Gary, and, yearning for a Christmas miracle, she visits a monastery. There she meets Rodriguez, a mysterious man of the cloth, and Thomasina, an enigmatic nun. But the holiday cheer turns dark when Bernie is found dead.
“Gary, Rodriguez and Thomasina soon become the prime suspects in Bernie’s murder, but the hunt for the truth unearths something terrible. When the real story finally comes to light, it upends everything the crew thought they knew about the tragedy.”
There is also fresh drama heading for Jack in The Good Ship Murder this Christmas – at the end of series 2, the former man of the law found himself out of a job and searching for a new career on dry land.
Channel 5 says: “Jack is lying low, performing to half-empty rooms in a grimy dive bar. The monastery murder draws Kate back to him and, with Jamil’s help, can the two finally rekindle their romance?
“As Christmas dawns, will Jack return to where he belongs, and will he share a Christmas song with everyone on board?”
Who is in the cast for The Good Ship Murder series 3?
Singer and actor Shayne Ward is back as Jack Grayling. Shayne of course won The X Factor in 2005. He also played Aidan Connor in Coronation Street and took part in Strictly Come Dancing 2024.
Actress Catherine Tyldesley will also reprise her role of Kate Woods for the new series. She’s most famous for playing Eva Price in Coronation Street, a role she recently returned to.
Zak Douglas will be back as Jamil Al-Rashid. He’s 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, better known to soap fans as Scott Drinkwell in Hollyoaks, is back as Colin Smallwood. He joined the show in series 2.
James Barriscale is back as Captain Richard Marlowe, Kiza Deen plays Frankie Johnson and Yuna Shin is Dr. Sharon Tan.
The Good Ship Murder series 3’s Christmas-themed episode 1 guest cast
This year’s series will also see former Hollyoaks favourite Gary Lucy join the cast as Jason Agnew for episode 1, along with Joelle Dyson, Luis Soto, Rebecca Harland, Greta Holland and Michelle Holmes.
Former Emmerdale star Lesley Dunlop – who played Brenda – is also joins the guest cast as Carole Merryweather.
We will update this page as more guest cast for the series are revealed.
When does The Good Ship Murder series 3 continue?
Although the Christmas-themed episode kicks off the series on a Saturday night, the rest of the run airs on Tuesdays at 9pm.
Episode 2 is on TV on Tuesday, January 6 and sees the cruise ship dock in Cannes, with Jack and Kate investigating the murder of a rising movie star at a premiere.
As soon as more information is released about the other episodes in the series, we will update this page.
Read more: The Best Christmas TV shows for 2025 across all platforms
