'The Ex-Wife' Season 2 Will Premiere on BritBox in July
Tom Mison and Celine Buckens in "The Ex-Wife" Season 2
(Photo: Courtesy of BritBox)
BritBox has set a July premiere date for the return of its (bonkers) psychological thriller series, The Ex-Wife. But its second outing is going to look a bit different from its first, with a new actress taking over the role of the titular main character and a story that's stepping well outside the bounds of its original source material.
The series' first season was based on the novel of the same name by Jess Ryder, and followed the story of seemingly happily married couple Jack and Tasha. But appearances can be deceiving, and the presumed threat to her happiness that Tasha assumed was coming from Jack's ever-present ex-wife, Jen, actually turned out to be from her husband himself. It's an old story: Husband convinces new wife his ex is out to get her, when he's the one busy gaslighting her and trying to steal her child. As lies piled up and secrets were revealed in increasingly dramatic fashion, Season 1 concluded with a devastating car accident in which their daughter Emily is presumed dead.
Season 2 will pick up three years later, with Tasha and a very much alive Emily living in hiding in Cypress, having changed their names and gone off the grid. Jen, for her part, is preparing to get married again, to a seemingly nice guy. But when word that Jack's being released from prison after just a year behind bars reaches them, their lives are thrown into chaos all over again. He claims to be a changed man, but since he's already proven himself capable of massive lies, how is either woman meant to believe him?
Since the show's first season pretty much exhausted the material in Ryder's book, we're in uncharted territory, story-wise, and pretty much anything can happen now.
Celine Buckens in "The Ex-Wife" Season 2
(Photo: Courtesy of BritBox)
Here's the Season 2 synopsis.
Several years after the events of Series 1, Jen has met a wonderful new man, Connor, who’s thankfully nothing like her ex-husband, Jack, and they’re excitedly planning their wedding together. Tasha is trying to move on from the past. She’s working hard to make a new life for herself and her daughter in Cyprus, but struggling to build the life her daughter deserves. She wishes she could give her more.
When Jack is released early from prison for good behaviour, both women are worried he could threaten their rebuilt lives. He claims to be a reformed character, determined to atone for his past. But as we learn he is still in love with his ex-wife Jen, what lengths could he go to win her back and what might he be capable of if he learns that Emily is still alive?
Merlin fan favorite Katie McGrath takes over the role of the titular ex-wife, Jen, from Janet Montgomery (1923). However, Tom Mison (One Day) and Celine Buckens (Showtrial) return as the married couple Tasha and Jack, once again joined by Jordan Stephens (Foundation) as Tasha's ex-boyfriend, Sam, and Liberty Miller (Malpractice) as their daughter, Emily.
The team behind the scenes for The Ex-Wife has also shifted. Catherine Steadman (Downton Abbey), who penned all four episodes of Season 1, has been replaced by a trio of writers for Season 2: Polly Buckle (Bergerac), Nessa Muthy (Virdee), and David Turpin (The Cuckoo). Director Paul Walker (Riviera) takes over from Brian O'Malley (The Lodgers) to helm all four episodes. The series is a co-production between Clapperboard Studios, Blackbox Multimedia, and Night Train Media.
The Ex-Wife Season 2 will premiere on BritBox on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, with new episodes to follow weekly through the end of the month. Season 1 is currently streaming on BritBox.
