David Mitchell teases Ludwig season 2 with character's new role and "brilliant" new cast members

One of the biggest breakout series from 2024 was undoubtedly Ludwig, the BBC's comedy-drama detective series starring David Mitchell.

Naturally, the series was renewed for a second season, which is set to pick up following the end of season 1, which saw Mitchell's character John becoming an official crime consultant with the police team, after his secret – that he'd been impersonating his missing police officer brother, was uncovered by them, but swept under the rug.

As we wait for season 2, Mitchell spoke with RadioTimes.com exclusively at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, where he revealed that John isn't quite out of the woods yet.

When asked how his official role on the police team would shake things up in the new episodes, Mitchell said: "When you watch the second series, you realise there's still quite a lot of obfuscation involved in his role, because not everyone in the police force is entirely on side with his appointment.

"And of course, he's still got to cover up the fact that for a long time he was solving cases while impersonating a police officer. And if that ever gets out, well, five murderers will walk free, and he won't walk free himself."

Ludwig season 2 will also introduce a selection of new characters, including two new members of the police team, played by Ben Ashenden and Rumi Sutton.

Mitchell said of these new additions: "They were brilliant, very funny. They're new characters, they're very funny characters. They've got a great dynamic with each other, but overall the situation remains the same."

Meanwhile, Mark Bonnar and Sian Clifford are also joining the cast, with the former playing a newspaper editor, Gareth Fisher, and the latter playing local MP Joanne Kemper.

Mitchell said that the duo are "both brilliant" and that "Mark Bonnar's sort of hilarious, hapless newspaper editor, which is a terrific role".

"And Sian, well, I don't want to reveal too much about Sian's role," he said. "But it's intriguing and it was brilliant to work with her, because I've admired her stuff for years."

The synopsis for season 2 says of John in season 2: "No longer having to masquerade as his brother, he’s openly more ‘Ludwig’ than ever – brilliant at solving puzzles but hopeless at everything else.

"But John’s identical twin brother, James, is still missing, and now that he’s an official employee of the station, John is forbidden from using any police resources to look for his brother or uncover exactly what he was investigating.

"Of course, John won’t stop and neither will Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), John’s sister-in-law and wife of his missing brother James – a puzzle needs solving and a husband and father needs bringing home. One masquerade may have ended, but a new one has just begun."

Ludwig season 1 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.