The Good Ship Murder Christmas Special: Who plays who in cast list of festive episode
By Helen Fear | Fri Dec 06 2024The Good Ship Murder Christmas Special lands on Channel 5 in December and there's a very familiar face in the guest cast...
Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley take the lead as cabaret singer Jack Grayling, and First Officer Kate Woods respectively. Together, they attempt to solve a number of ever more baffling crimes onboard the cruise ship they work on.
Like Netflix's Christmas offering Black Doves, the plot can border on preposterous, but don't let that stop your enjoyment!
So who's who in the cast list of The Good Ship Murder Christmas Special? Here's everything you need to know.
Shayne Ward portrays Jack Grayling in the cast of The Good Ship Murder
Actor and singer Shayne Ward returns as former police detective turned cabaret singer Jack Grayling in the festive edition of The Good Ship Murder. Of course, he soon returns to his sleuthing ways when crimes begin to occur on the cruise ship.
Manchester-born Shayne, 40, recently appeared on Strictly Come Dancing 2024. Partnered with Nancy Xu, the pair got voted out in week 8.
He's probably most famous for winning The X Factor in 2005, and his subsequent chart hits, and musical theatre career.
Coronation Street fans will know him as Aidan Connor, a role he played from 2015 to 2018. He subsequently won the Inside Soap Award for Aidan's groundbreaking suicide storyline.
Other notable roles include Kenny Webb in one episode of Doctors, Jimmy in the sci-fi film G-Loc, and Will Stanton in the horror movie The Ascent.
The Good Ship Murder Christmas Special: Catherine Tyldesley is Kate
Actress Catherine Tyldesley, 41, stars as fiercely ambitious First Officer Kate Woods. Coronation Street fans will know her as barmaid Eva Price, a role she played from 2011 to 2018.
Catherine and Shayne starred opposite each other as Aidan Connor and Eva Price, where they suffered a doomed love affair. Eva and Aidan were engaged, until she discovered he'd been unfaithful with Maria Connor. Although they did subsequently turn up for their wedding day, dramatic revelations and a fight in a water fountain meant they didn't actually tie the knot.
After leaving the ITV soap, Catherine appeared in the ITV thriller Viewpoint, as well as 15 Days, and Scarborough. Other notable roles include Emma in Trollied, Abi Peterson in Emmerdale, and Psycho Sarah in Scallywagga.
Claire Sweeney stars as Beverley Carnell
Actress and singer Claire Sweeney, 53, plays Cruise Director Beverley Carnell. Of course, Claire is best known for her soap roles. These include Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside, a role she played from 1991 to 2003. The role was her first ever on TV, and quite the explosive one!
More recently, Liverpool-born Claire has played Cassandra 'Cassie' Plummer in Corrie. She is the wayward daughter of Evelyn Plummer and mother of Tyrone Dobbs.
In between her soap roles and musical theatre roles, Claire has also played Hayley Cox in Scarborough, Amanda in Candy Cabs, and DS Roz Kelly in Merseybeat.
Zak Douglas portrays Jamil Al-Rashid
Actor Zak Douglas stars as Jamil Al-Rashid in the cast of The Good Ship Murder Christmas Special.
Zak has been on our screens since 2016 when he played a soldier in the short film Goodnight My Boys. He went on to portray Aaron Jeffries in several episodes of Doctors, and Kit McKellen in Ridley.
He is perhaps next known for playing Dudley in The Larkins, and Mo Fassi in G'wed. Zak also played Tony Castillo in Vera episode For the Grace of God.
Cliff Parisi stars as Buddy Elveden in the festive special
Cliff Parisi, 64, guest stars as Buddy Elveden in the festive special of the cruise ship detective series.
London-born actor Cliff is probably best known for playing Fred Buckle in Call the Midwife, a role he's played since the period drama first started in 2012.
Before that, he was famous for playing Minty Peterson in EastEnders for eight years.
Cliff, a former stand-up comedian, has actually been on our screens for nearly four decades. His first ever TV role was playing Barman in the TV series Cabaret at the Jongleurs.
Other early roles include Lunchbox in Chancer, Stanley in Gone to the Dogs, Robin in Gone to Seed, and Micky Wright in London's Burning. Between 1995 and 1996, Cliff portrayed Daniel Bentley in period drama Bramwell, before going on to play Dave Perry in A Prince Among Men.
Other notable performances include playing Tony in Kiss Me Kate, Vic Morrish in Hero to Zero, Tom Buckley in Kavanagh QC, Fox in Gimme 6, and Walt in Hollyoaks.
Who else stars in the cast of The Good Ship Murder Christmas Special?
Ross Adams will join the cast as new character Colin Smallwood. He played Scott Drinkwell in Hollyoaks from 2015 to 2023.
Geoffrey Breton plays Piers De Vreese. He's best known for playing Mark Phillips in The Crown.
Hollyoaks and Doctors actress Kiza Deen stars as Frankie Johnson.
Hijack's James Barriscale is Captain Marlowe.
Maltese actor Joe Depasquale plays Luka. This is arguably his biggest role to date, having previously appeared in a few short films and minor roles in films.
Russian actor Philipp Mogilnitskiy portrays Giorgio Belay, alongside Naomi Radcliffe's Karen McCallister. Naomi is best known for playing Alison Wakefield in ITV soap Coronation Street.
Foundation star Emily Stott stars as Joni McClane, and Maltese actresses Victoria Schranz and Antonella Axisa play Libby McClane and Nika Kovacic respectively.
