The cruise ship passenger who died after a fight broke out on a stag do was a "lovely" grandfather who ran a motorcycle stunt show.
James Messham, 60, was killed in an "altercation" on the MSC Virtuosa just hours after the ship set sail from Southampton on Saturday evening.
The incident occurred at around 8:30pm while the ship was still in UK waters, prompting a return to Southampton where Hampshire Police came aboard and arrested a 57-year-old man from Exeter on suspicion of murder.
The Sun has revealed that Messham was with his relatives, who were part of his Wall of Death motorcycle stunt act, at the time of his death.
Joby Carter described him as a “proper gent” who was part of Carter's Steam Fair until around eight years ago. He said: “We always got along with him. He was a proper gent, salt of the Earth. Travelling the Wall of Death is a labour of love. You’ve got to love it."
It is being reported that the men involved in the incident were part of a group of 20, and the crew of the MSC Virtuosa are "cooperating fully" with authorities as the investigation unfolds.
Lynda Hardiman-Pearce, another passenger on the ill-fated trip to Zebrugge, spoke of the ruckus caused by numerous hen and stag dos onboard. She told The Southern Daily Echo: "The cruise was full of hen and stag parties causing chaos."
She added that a man on board "told me his son was an army medic and had tried to help by doing CPR on a guy that had collapsed but unfortunately couldn't revive him. Apparently, the man was on a stag do."
Among shocked guests was last year's Traitors winner Harry Clark, who was enjoying a long weekend with his girlfriend and friends aboard the ship. Since it was not announced, he did not know about the tragic death until later on, like many of the other passengers.
A source said: “Harry is clearly very shocked and saddened by the news and is thinking of the individual’s family and friends.
“You really don’t expect that to happen on a cruise and it’s a very scary situation.”
Messham’s death was the second tragedy onboard MSC Virtuosa in a matter of months.
Colombian national Jessica Andrea Gómez Granda, 28, died after falling overboard near the Channel Islands in October.
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