Hit BBC drama Waterloo Road will welcome Lindsey Coulson (EastEnders, The Bay) as the school’s new headteacher, it has been announced. Following the fall of previous director Steve Savage, played by Jason Manford, Lindsey will make her debut as Dame Stella Drake in the upcoming 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 to them at the end of the most recent series, when they were exposed for murdering Boz Osbourne. Steve’s arrest means 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 make her the perfect candidate to reform Waterloo Road. . Stella joins the school when the students become increasingly rebellious following the effects of last term and soon feels outdated as she clashes with the school’s modern pastoral approach. His unfiltered honesty is both endearing and abrasive. She tells it like it is, and while her intention is to inspire positive change, her methods can sometimes throw things off. Stella may have the students’ best interests at heart, but soon her personal life will spill over into her professional life and fans will wonder what skeletons she might be hiding.

Lindsey Coulson says: “I am delighted to be joining Waterloo Road as the new director, Dame Stella Drake. It’s a role I haven’t played before, so I’m really enjoying finding out who Stella is and seeing how teachers and students react to her no-nonsense approach. “Waterloo Road tackles head-on the social issues that are 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 excited to have Lindsey Coulson joining Waterloo Road – she’s absolutely embraced the spirit and ethos of the show, and fully inhabits the role of Dame Stella Drake, we can’t wait for audiences to meet her. The fact that the show has attracted an actor of Lindsey’s caliber is testament to the continued ambition and commitment of our writing and story teams, as well as our brilliant talent. cast and crew.”

Lindsay Salt, BBC Director of Drama, says: “It’s a real honor to have an actor of Lindsey Coulson’s caliber taking the reins in Waterloo Road. Dame Stella Drake is a force to be reckoned with, and we know fans of all ages will attend.” I love looking at her.”

Filmed and set in Greater Manchester, Waterloo Road has established itself as one of the top-performing programs on BBC iPlayer for under-35s and continues to highlight real-life issues affecting teenagers, families and schools through their stories. More information about the upcoming series will be announced in due course. Meanwhile, audiences can stream every episode of Waterloo Road so far on BBC iPlayer.

Waterloo Road is a co-production of Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Executive producers are Rope Ladder Fiction’s Cameron Roach, Wall to Wall’s Leanne Klein and the BBC’s Gaynor Holmes and Jo McClellan.

A.J.