‘Waterloo Road’: BBC Reveals The “Class Of 2022” For Returning Series
The BBC has announced the “Class Of 2022” for ‘Waterloo Road‘ when the award-winning drama returns for the first time since 2015 later this year.
The new series will use its rich history of telling entertaining and gripping human stories while tackling the important issues of the day. The new series is set and made in Greater Manchester and produced by award-winning Wall To Wall (‘The Windermere Children’, ‘Man In Room 301’, ‘New Tricks’) in co-production with Rope Ladder Fiction, the new Manchester-based label from Cameron Roach, who executive produced the previous series of ‘Waterloo Road’ in both Rochdale and Greenock.
Actors playing pupil characters have been announced as Adam Abbou (Time), joining the cast as Danny Lewis, Priyasasha Kumari (You Don’t Know Me) playing Samia Choudhry’ with Noah Valentine (The Bay) joining as Preston Walters. Adam Ali (Little America) has been cast as Kai Sharif while Alicia Forde joins as Kelly-Jo Rafferty, Francesco Piacentini-Smith (Masters Of The Air) cast as Dean Weever, Liam Scholes (Coronation Street) as Noel McManus and Lucy Eleanor Begg as Caz Williams.
Following in the family footsteps, Scarlett Thomas – Adam’s niece and daughter of former Waterloo Road star Tina O’Brien – has been announced as Izzy Charles, playing daughter to characters Donte and Chlo Charles. Fellow junior student cast includes Summer Violet Bird playing Tonya Walters, Ava Flannery as Verity King, Thapelo Ray (Doctors) cast as Dwanye Jackson, Inathi Rozani (Biff and Chip) joining as Zayne Jackson, Chiamaka (ChiChi) Ulebor playing Shola Aku with Sahil Ismailkhil as Norrulah Ashimi – who was talent scouted following a production research trip to a local Leeds school.
They will join previously announced returning stars Angela Griffin (playing headteacher Kim Campbell), Adam Thomas as Donte Charles, and Katie Griffiths as Chlo Charles. Other previously announced new cast includes Kym Marsh (Coronation Street, The Syndicate, Morning Live) as Nicky Walters, a mother to two pupils and school canteen worker; Jo Coffey (EastEnders, The Witcher: Blood Origin) as school as Wendy Whitwell, PA to Headteacher Kim Campbell; Vincent Jerome (Wonder Woman 1984, Transformers: The Last Knight) as Lindon King, joint Deputy Head with James Baxter (Still Open All Hours, Alma’s Not Normal) as Joe Casey; Sonia Ibrahim (Coronation Street, Whisky Cavalier) as Jamilah Omar, the school’s social worker; Shauna Shim (Biff, Chip & Kipper, The Worst Witch) as music teacher Valerie Chambers; Neil Fitzmaurice (Phoenix Nights, Peepshow) as Neil Guthrie, the school’s history teacher; Head of English is Coral Walker, played by Rachel Leskovac (Coronation Street, Last Tango In Halifax); And Katherine Pearce (Rules of the Game, Three Girls) has been confirmed as Amy Spratt – an early career teacher.
Originally airing on the BBC from 2006 to 2015, ‘Waterloo Road’ was one of the UK’s most popular and longest-running TV dramas, with an impressive alumni of dynamic characters and award-winning storylines. Such is the show’s enduring popularity, it has drawn both loyal and new, young and diverse audiences since it dropped as a boxset on BBC iPlayer in September 2019, and last month ranked among the top ten most-watched shows on iPlayer in 2021.
‘Waterloo Road’ is a Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North co-production. The Executive Producer is Cameron Roach. Waterloo Road was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama and executive producers for the BBC are Gaynor Holmes and Jo McClellan.
All previous 10 Seasons of ‘Waterloo Road‘ can be found on BBC iPlayer, and Season 11 will air later in 2022. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
