Derry Girls actress Siobhan McSweeney appears alongside Will & Grace star Eric McCormack in a new BBC thriller, playing a supporter of US President Donald Trump
Siobhan McSweeney has ditched comedy for “straight” drama in her next role – playing an American supporter of Donald Trump in BBC thriller Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue.
The six-part murder-mystery is written by the creator of Foyle’s War, Anthony Horowitz, and features a cast of nine main characters who survive when their plane crashes in the Mexican jungle.
But in the plot they then begin to die one after another in strange and violent ways and soon realise there is a murderer in their midst. As the story unfolds in flashback, viewers will meet the survivors as they battle to stay alive against the heat, a shortage of supplies – and each other.
IN the plot Siobhan’s character is a motel owner, and she and her husband are huge Trump supporters
Derry Girls and Amandaland star Siobhan, 45, said the whole project had been a departure from the norm for her. “It’s the first time, apart from theatre, that I’ve played an American, so the accent was a challenge,” she admitted.
“Another challenge would be one that’s the same with every show, where you’re going to spend an awful lot of time with these people and you worry if you are all going to get on. It turned out to be one of the most joyful jobs I’ve ever been on.”
In the series by Horowitz, who has also scripted Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Midsomer Murders, Siobhan plays a Trump-loving Texan woman who runs a chain of motels with her husband, who is also on the plane and a fully signed up member of the Make America Great Again campaign.
The actress, 45, is best known for her role as acid-tongued Sister Michael in Derry Girls(Image: This picture may be used solely for Channel 4 programme publicity purposes in connection with the current broadcast of the progr)
She laughed that in real life if she was caught in a similar situation to this group, she’d be a goner. “I’d be dead within two days!” she said. “What really comes across, which is something that you never think about in these survival stories, is that you think they’re on the move but they’re not. They’re stuck in one area. They’re stuck beside the plane, so I guess I’d die of boredom.”
When it hits the screen later this month viewers will also see Will & Grace favourite Eric McCormack, who plays a doctor who has been struck off. He says that if the situation was real, he’d fare even less well. “I’d last 30 to 40 minutes,” he declared. “Actually, I take that back. There’s a full bottle of vodka on the plane, so I’d last six to seven hours, until the vodka ran out.”
She also proved a huge hit in Amandaland, in which she plays a stressed-out chef(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Merman/Natalie Seery)
Siobhan, who also hosts Channel 4’s Great Pottery Throwdown and is currently fronting the Irish version of The Traitors, said she jumped at the chance to film in “Mexico”, which was actually Gran Canaria. “Then there was the idea of filming in the Canary Islands for the summer, whereas I usually get to film in Northern Ireland. So it was like ‘Let’s have a bit of fun’.”
Writer Horowitz said he hopes that BBC viewers enjoy the series. “I’ve always believed that murder stories are popular because they’re about the search for truth. We live in a world in which it is very hard to be sure of anything anymore – we have 24-hour news, fake news, post-truth. How do you know what’s real any more? But whodunnits lead to absolute truth. It’s revealed at the end of the final episode.”
– Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue will air on BBC1/iPlayer this September
A pretty UK seaside town is a popular destination for many – including French travellers and it’s easy to see why so many people flock to the coastal area during the summer
The popular coastal town is perfect for a sunny long weekend(Image: PA)
The UK has many charming towns – including this one, once thought to be a ‘prestigious’ holiday destination for French tourists. Folkestone in Kent is a town full of buzz and atmosphere, located in the south-east of England on the coast. Bustling with creative outlets, vast range of food, local beers and wines there is so much on offer for visitors.
With beautiful beaches and independent shops it’s a great destination for a long weekend away. Folkestone has also had some famous historic residents who once called it home, including Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie – which can all be found at the Folkestone museum.
Mermaid Beach in Folkestone, Kent, UK(Image: Getty)
According to Visit South East England, Folkestone has seen lots of regeneration and development, with brand new shopping areas, leisure facilities and boutique hotels. The nearby designated coastal park of Samphire Hoe is a great place to wander, and is a haven for wild birds. The area’s maritime history is well preserved too, through ancient remains and architecture.
With an elegant clifftop promenade, a lower coastal park, a fishing harbour and Victorian cliff-tops, it’s an idyllic town by the beach and offers many things to do. The booming economy has grown in the past 10 years. It’s home to the world’s first multi-storey skatepark, a New York Highline-inspired garden walkway, leading to the revitalised Harbour Arm, an annual Pride, and LGBTQ+ bookshop and even mini golf on the beach.
It’s also home to the iconic Mermaid Beach, which boasts a glorious stretch of pristine goodness with an eye-catching coastline which is in the shape of a mermaid’s tail. There’s loads to do in Mermaid Beach if you do plan on taking a trip. You could check out the Folkestone Mermaid sculpture located on the beach.
People flock to the beach in the warm weather – making it a charming place to visit(Image: PA)
There’s also the Lower Leas Coastal Park which is one of the most visited tourist spots. This award-winning park has one of the largest free adventure playground for children, as well as beautiful gardens and forest treks, perfect for the whole family.
Meanwhile Folkestone itself is gaining recognition as a hub for art and culture. There’s the Folkestone Triennial which is an international public art festival that scatters sculptures and other artistic creations throughout the town.
Folkestone is also one of the best connected towns on the coast, with direct rail links to London and is the ideal base for exploring the beautiful surrounding landscape – while still being easily accessible. Visit South East England recommended some of the best things to do in Folkestone including:
Animal lovers should head straight for the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. It’s a great place to see dozens of exotic and rare species.
The nearby Kent Battle of Britain Museum has the best collection of Battle of Britain memorabilia of any war museum in the UK (including dozens of aircraft).
Take a ride on the miniature steam trains Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
One impressed visitor took to TripAdvisor and said: “Folkestone have really made a shining example of what to do with a cliff area. After leaving the amazing boardwalk (again, genius idea) on the beach we walked right up and beyond the playground. The accessibility to the beach in several places was brilliant.”
While another chimed: “This is such a beautiful walk between the cliff and the beach. Nice flower beds and landscaped arrangements. It was also protected from the wind, which was quite strong when we were there.”
Forget The Salt Path scandal! Daily Mirror’s book expert Jessica Boulton picks the best new Chick Lit, Thrillers, Family Sagas and Murder Mysteries which deserve the space on your Kindle this summer
08:00, 13 Jul 2025Updated 11:13, 13 Jul 2025
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Treat yourself to me time with one of these 14 sizzling summer reads
Plane tickets? Check. Swimwear? Check. The patience of a saint to get through airport security? Check. Yes, if you’re planning the perfect summer holiday, there’s only one other thing you need: A jolly good book. For when you’ve smugly beaten other hotel guests to a sunbed, there’s little more relaxing than a great page turner. So what new tomes deserve the precious space on your Kindle or a spot in your suitcase? Here, columnist Jessica Boulton takes you through the best of this summer’s new releases – whether you’ve a soft spot for romance, a love for crimes of passion, or prefer your beach reads bloodier than a tomato juice and vodka….
From the author of Netflix’s The Kissing Booth comes an enemies-to-lovers-style romp set in that favourite of romcom scenarios: The destination wedding, Three unhappy singletons are en route to the ‘wedding of the year’ – and they’re all dreading it: One’s in love with the groom, one’s the overprotective brother of the bride and the other is a maid of honour fed up of playing second fiddle. So when fate convenes to strand all three at an airport bar overnight, they get to talking, drinking and….plotting….
The bestselling chicklit author Ali Hazelwood has become quite the talking point on social media and so-called ‘book tok’ thanks to her novel spin on romance tropes. Released on late May, her latest book puts Gen Z values under the microscope as Maya, 23, falls for her brother’s much older – and much richer – best friend. Everyone, including him, says a romance would be problematic. But when the two are forced to spend a week sharing a remote Italian villa at her brother’s wedding, Maya decides it’s time to ignore the red flags and follow her heart, not her head. Will she prove the naysayers wrong?
One of the biggest names in the genre, Cecelia Ahern was the bestselling author behind the weepy-but-ultimately-uplifting romance PS. I Love You, which later became a 2007 hit film with Anne Hathaway and Gerard Butler. Cecelia’s latest paperback release centres on wallflower Pip, who has been hiding from life, living a sheltered existence, until the stars – or rather an attractive local astronomer – opens her eyes to the world…
Summer lovin’ indeed! There’s a huge mix of new relationship and love life stories desperate to be your holiday pick
Get the tissues ready! This romance comes with a side serving of trauma. When Jenny loses the love of her life, Joe, in a freak accident, she thinks she will never recover. That is until…. she begins seeing Joe’s ghost. There’s only one thing wrong with their renewed relationship: He’s a little less solid than before. When Jen meets the infuriating new guy, Luca, who’s moved into Joe’s old flat, she takes an instant dislike to him. But slowly and surely he reminds her what it means to have fun. However the more Jen sees Luca, the less she sees Joe. So who will she choose?
A chick-lit romance where the heroine is a serial murderer? Talk about a killer concept. Sure to be a hit with fans of Sky’s Sweetpea, this twisted tale, from an author whose sold a million books, centres on Saffy Huntley-Oliver, a millennial who’s fallen for a brilliant true crime podcaster Jonathan. There’s just one complication in their romance. Saffy’s got a secret passion project – killing men. Bad men. Like a a certain handsy children’s TV star….So will Saffy’s hobby be the nail in the coffin for their romance? Or can they love each other til death do they part? It may depend on whose death we mean.
Where better to set a crime novel than at a crime writers’ convention? A Novel Murder’s delightfully-playful premise sees aspiring author Jane Hepburn joining big-name name authors at a quaint town’s festival, to try to get her big break. But when her literary agent turns up dead, Jane fears the writing’s on the wall for her career…..unless she can help police find the killer – and throw the book at him.
Posy Starling, Caro Hooper and Rosalind King are some of TV and the West End’s finest actresses. Yet not only have they all played the same fictional detective – TV’s Dahlia Lively – but they’ve all let the role go a little to their heads.. The fifth standalone story in the Three Dahlias series, this Agatha Christie-style mystery sees the women once more forced to turn Sherlock for real after Caro’s hunky west end co-star is found dead in a theatre dressing room – with a blood-drenched Posy[italic] standing over him. Will her fellow Dahlias believe her claims of innocence before the real killer enjoys an encore?
Judy Murray has served up her second ‘cosy murder’ tome
White Lotus S2 vibes ahoy! A dead body in the sea, a reformed con man and the faded beauty of Sicily – what else do you need?
Think Sex And The City meets Desperate Housewives on a day out at Wimbledon…Yes, Judy Murray is back with her second murder mystery, once again set in the world of tennis. This time, close friends Kristin, Vee, Bibi and Hailey are sipping prosecco at Surrey’s posh Royal Oaks Tennis Club, when their charming coach Jeremy keels over – thanks to some poisoned sponge cake.
Soon it’s clear: one of these glamourous women had the balls to catch out their coach. But who served him his just deserts? And what other backhanded shenanigans are happening at the exclusive club?
A murder mystery in sun-drenched Sicily? Characters who all have something to hide? And a lingering sense of unease? If this book isn’t popular with fans of The White Lotus, something is definitely awry. This sumptuously-set mystery begins with trainee journalist Nedda Leonardi desperately trying to find a scoop at a local town festival. But she gets a splash in more ways than one when local dancers dive in the glistening Ionian Sea… and return with a corpse. Nedda’s soon out of her depth but finds an unlikely partner-in-solving[ital]-crime – a retired grifter, trying to leave his con man past behind until he becomes a suspect. Together, the oddball pair set out to uncover the real story.
A mum’s worst nightmare: Lauren goes to pick her daughter up from university, knocks on her door and comes face to face…with a stranger. At first, she presumes she has the wrong room but then she realises the terrible truth. Her daughter Evie is not there. And she hasn’t been for a long time. The discovery sparks a heart-in-mouth race to uncover what’s happened before it’s too late. If, indeed, it’s not too late already.
Steph McGovern debut novel is set in her familiar world of Live TV
Steph McGovern doing her other day job – on Bear Grylls’ Bear Hunt
Following her years hosting Steph’s Packed Lunch and a stint in the Costa Rican jungle on Bear Grylls’ Bear Hunt, the former BBC broadcaster is now onto her third act – as a novelist. Her debut tome is set in a familiar world but the premise is still deliciously tantalising: a TV host is just about to go live, interviewing the most powerful man in the country, when she gets a message through her earpiece. Kidnappers have taken her family. Now she must do exactly what they say, on Live TV, if she ever wants to see them again.
Prefer your thrillers with a period era twist? Mark Ellis has released the latest is his Frank Merlin detective series, set in the shadowy world of wartime London 1943. A local murder sparks an investigation into a wide-scoping mystery featuring the disappearance of a US officer in possession of invasion plans, dodgy MPs, even dodgier police and a seedy underworld of Cockney gangsters, brothels and blackmail.
Talk about an intriguing set-up: this psychological thriller begins in 2005 as a group of students each writes a letter to their future selves, sharing their fears, dreams, mistakes and heartaches. Of course, they should have known better. For unlike the contents of a normal time capsule, these students’ secrets don’t stay buried for long. Two decades on, their private notes begin dropping through their letterboxes – and the unearthed truths begin to change their lives for ever.
Love getting post? Maybe not this time…..
These Summer Storms – the weather may be sunny but the mood is dark….
Missing Succession? Loved Amazon’s adaptation of We Were Liars? Then this should be the perfect lazy day read. Alice Storm is the surprisingly-grounded daughter of an eccentric billionaire tech genius. But when he dies suddenly, she forced to return to the family’s private island off the coast of New England – with some of the oddest, most dysfunctional and competitive people she knows: her siblings. Then there’s the biggest surprise: Alice’s puppet master father has left his children one last test. To receive their inheritance they must spend a week on the island completing a list of very specific challenges….
What’s you beach read recommendation? Share in comment or message me on Instagram/X @JessicaBoulton
