WATERLOO ROAD: DENISE WELCH SET TO REPRISE ROLE IN BBC DRAMA

Denise Welch is reportedly set to reprise her role on long-running BBC drama Waterloo Road, The Sun reports. The BBC declined to comment when approached by the newspaper.

Loose Women panellist Welch played French teacher Steph Haydock in the first five seasons, before returning for a cameo in series six. A source told The Sun: "The character is certainly one which will live long in the memory of devotees, and it’s an absolute no brainer to have her return."

Meanwhile, last month it was announced that the show was to welcome Lindsey Coulson (EastEnders, The Bay) as the school’s new headteacher. Following the downfall of previous headteacher Steve Savage, played by Jason Manford, Lindsey will make her debut as Dame Stella Drake in the next series of Waterloo Road when it returns to BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2025.

Fans of the show will have seen Mr Savage and his son Billy’s secret catch up with them at the end of the most recent series, as they were outed for murdering Boz Osbourne. Steve’s arrest means that Waterloo Road is once again left without a headteacher and is trying to shake off its reputation as the ‘murder school’.

Once at the top of the Ofsted ranks, Dame Stella found herself knocked off her pedestal thanks to her cutting words about parental incompetence going viral, but her uncompromising work ethic, strict moral compass and no nonsense approach makes her the perfect candidate to reform Waterloo Road.

Stella joins the school as the students become increasingly unruly following the effects of last term and she soon feels out of date as she clashes with the school’s modern pastoral approach. Her unfiltered honesty is both endearing and abrasive.

She tells it as it is and while her intent is to inspire positive change, her methods can sometimes ruffle feathers. Stella might have the students best interests at heart but soon her personal life spills over into the professional and fans will be left wondering what skeletons she could be hiding?

Lindsey Coulson says: “I’m delighted to be joining Waterloo Road as the new headteacher, Dame Stella Drake. It’s a role I haven’t played before so I’m really enjoying peeling back the layers of who Stella is and seeing how the teachers and students react to her no-nonsense approach. Waterloo Road tackles social issues head on which is so important to see on television and this series will be no different.”

Cameron Roach, Executive Producer of Waterloo Road and Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction, says: “We're really thrilled that Lindsey Coulson is joining Waterloo Road, she has absolutely embraced the spirit and ethos of the show, and she completely inhabits the role of Dame Stella Drake, we can't wait for the audience to meet her. The fact that the show has attracted an actor of Lindsey's calibre is testament to the continued ambition and commitment from our writing and story teams, as well as our brilliant cast and crew.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: "It's a real honour to have an actor of Lindsey Coulson's calibre take the reins at Waterloo Road. Dame Stella Drake is a force to be reckoned with, and we know fans of all ages are going to love watching her."

Filmed and set in Greater Manchester, Waterloo Road has cemented itself as one of the top performing shows on BBC iPlayer for under 35s and continues to highlight real-life topics affecting teens, families and schools through its storylines. More information on the next series will be announced in due course. in the meantime, audiences can stream all episodes of Waterloo Road so far on BBC iPlayer.

Waterloo Road is a Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North co-production for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.