Waterloo Road cast 2025: who are new cast members for series 15 - and who has left

• Waterloo Road has confirmed its new cast members for 2025.
• It includes a “living legend” taking over as headteacher.
• And a fan-favourite will reportedly return after more than a decade!

A new headteacher is arriving at Waterloo Road this season - and plenty more changes are afoot. The long-running school drama is returning for its 15th series in just a few hours.

The show ended in dramatic fashion last year with the arrest of Jason Manford’s headteacher and his son. There will also be new teachers, the return of old faces and plenty of new pupils.

Meet the new cast members joining Waterloo Road for series 15. The show will start on BBC One today (February 11) and will air weekly.

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Who are new cast members on Waterloo Road?

There will be plenty of new faces walking the halls of Waterloo Road this year. It includes Lindsey Coulson, who will play the new headteacher Dame Stella Drake who is described as “a powerful living legend”.

Zeriozha Annika is returning to Waterloo Road after 16 years away, she is back as Celine Stone (formerly Celine Dixon) and is the mother of a student. However there is some mystery around “Who’s this kid and who’s the father?"

Cory McClane is playing Celine’s son Ashton Stone. He is described as “a likeable lad who has a kind heart and caring nature”.

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Also joining the cast for the new season is Niamh Blackshaw, who plays a new student called Agnes Ecclestone. She is described as “a passionate, moral led and principled Christian who is deeply committed to her faith” but does have a bit of a “rebellious streak”.

Another new student heading to Waterloo Road this season is Cat Guthrie, who is played by Lucy Chambers. Cat is described as “out and proud” and although she identifies as a lesbian, “Cat refuses to be labelled”.

A new teacher who will be joining the staff at Waterloo Road in 2025 is Jas Sharma, played by Lauren Patel. The character is described as a “vibrant early career teacher” who arrives at Waterloo Road with all the “passion and naiveté of someone who hasn’t spent long in a school before”.

Are any other characters returning?

Long-time fans of Waterloo Road will need to keep their eyes peeled this season, because some old favourites will be back. TVZone reports that Denise Welch will be returning at some point as Steph Haydock - a French teacher who was in the first five seasons of the show.

While Jason Merrells will also be making a return as former Waterloo Road headteacher Jack Rimmer. He said: “It’s a different building, but the same ethos, drama, humour & integrity are still in place, it felt like coming home.”

Who has left the cast of Waterloo Road?

Jason Manford made a splash when he joined the cast of the BBC drama for series 14 last year, playing headteacher Steve Savage. He was arrested at the end of the last season, after helping his son Billy cover up the death of pupil Boz Osbourne.

Are you excited for the new season of Waterloo Road? Let me know by email: [email protected].