Red Eye Series Returns to ITV with High-Stakes Season 2 Premiere

The Return of Red Eye: A New Chapter Begins

The highly anticipated second series of Red Eye premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on 1 January 2026, marking an exciting start to the new year for thriller enthusiasts. Following the success of its debut series in 2024, which hit 29.3m streams and was one of the channel’s top ten dramas of the year, exceeding eight million viewers, the British thriller returns with a fresh storyline and new cast additions.

What Makes Red Eye Significant

Red Eye is a six-part British thriller television series, created by Peter A Dowling and starring Jing Lusi, Richard Armitage, Jemma Moore and Lesley Sharp. The show has demonstrated remarkable international appeal, with the series winning at the 2025 Broadcast Awards in the Best International Programme Sales category. This recognition underscores the series’ impact beyond British shores and its growing reputation as quality television drama.

Season 2: New Setting, New Threats

The second series brings significant changes to the formula. Lusi, Moore, and Sharp return with Martin Compston joining the cast, replacing Richard Armitage from the first series. Inside the US Embassy, the celebrations for a newly-appointed US Ambassador to London are shattered when officials receive a threatening call. The caller will blow a British plane out of the sky if anyone leaves the embassy.

Jing Lusi returns as London police officer Hana Li, joined this season by Scottish actor Martin Compston, who guest stars as Clay Brody, the head of security at the U.S. Embassy in London. The duo must navigate a political and jurisdictional nightmare as she is compelled to join forces with the Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, a former colleague who once screwed her over.

What This Means for Viewers

Red Eye’s return represents ITV’s continued investment in high-quality thriller programming. The shift from an airplane setting in series one to an embassy lockdown scenario demonstrates the show’s ability to reinvent itself while maintaining tension and stakes. For audiences seeking intelligent, fast-paced drama to begin 2026, Red Eye offers precisely that combination. The series proves that British thriller television continues to compete on the global stage, providing viewers with compelling entertainment that balances action, political intrigue, and character-driven storytelling.