Waterloo Road series 16 is available to binge now on BBC iPlayer

Now that we know BBC school drama Waterloo Road has been renewed for two further series, the 16th instalment has now been released, which sees comedian Jon Richardson join the cast.

As all eight episodes drop, here's everything you need to know about series 16, including the cast, the plot, and the trailer.

Will there be another series?

Yes! Series 16 was actually filmed at the same time as series 15, which aired between February-April this year. It was also announced that a 17th series would air in early 2026.

Ahead of the series 16 starting, in August 2025, BBC bosses announced the show had been commissioned for two further series (18 and 19), with filming due to take place later in 2025.

When did it air?

Series 16 started on Tuesday 23rd September, with weekly episodes until Tuesday 14th October 2025.

A social media post revealed:'📚📺 Waterloo Road is BACK! Your first look at the new series 👀

'Launching Tuesday 23rd September. Binge the boxset from 6am on BBC iPlayer, or tune in to BBC One every Tuesday for a weekly double bill at 9pm and 10:40pm.

'Who’s ready to head back to school? 👩‍🏫👨‍🎓'. (sic)

When did new episodes come out?

New episodes aired weekly every Tuesday night.

Is there a trailer?

The official trailer for series 16 of Waterloo Road dropped on Tuesday 16th September, showing Jon Richardson's first day as the school's new media studies teacher, Darius Donovan.

You can check it out below:

Check out the first look photos from series 16 below:

Who is in the cast?

The big cast talking point for series 16 is the addition of comedian and Absolute Radio presenter Jon Richardson, who will join the school as the new Creative Arts teacher, Darius Donovan.

Jon said of his new role: "I would say that joining Waterloo Road is a dream come true, but in truth most of my dreams about school revolve around not having done my homework or put on my uniform. I wanted to be a teacher growing up so hopefully this role will put all those ambitions to bed, and I can stop telling my friends and family that I will be testing them on what I’ve been saying or telling audiences on tour that it’s their own time they’re wasting."

There's a new brother and sister duo joining the cast for series 16, called Ben and Hope Drake - who are Headteacher Stella Drake's grandchildren.

Sharing the news on social media ahead of the new series, the post read: 'Meet Ben Drake, the laid-back Year 11 with a cool exterior, but beneath it all, he's a tortured teen whose troubles are just beginning.

'And his sister Hope, a spirited Year 9 chasing fame with unstoppable energy and starry-eyed ambition'. (sic)

Actor Chris Jeffers will also join the cast as teacher Mitch Swift. Chris said about his character: "Mitch is the kind of teacher I wish I’d had at school - he’s fun, got heart, street-smart, and he cares deeply about the kids. He’s got a cool, confident exterior, but underneath it all there’s a lot of lived experience and a real vulnerability. He’s been through it himself - had a rough start in life, made some questionable decisions, and experienced a tragic loss - but he’s turned all of that into fuel for the way he teaches."

Jason Merrells will also return as Jack Rimmer, Adam Thomas as Donte Charles, Kym Marsh as Nicky Walters, and Lindsey Coulson as Headteacher Dame Stella Drake.

Check out which faces are expected to appear below:

Lindsey Coulson as Dame Stella Drake

Jason Merrells as Jack Rimmer

Jon Richardson as Darius Donovan

Jo Coffey as Wendy Whitwell

James Baxter as Joe Casey

Rachel Leskovac as Coral Walker

Shauna Shim as Valerie Chambers

Neil Fitzmaurice as Neil Guthrie

Tom Wells as Marc Todd

Saira Choudhry as Nisha Chandra

Adam Thomas as Donte Charles

Hollie-Jay Bowes as Debs Rafferty

Chris Jeffers as Mitch Smith

Lauren Patel as Jas Sharma

Chiamaka Ulebor as Shola Aku

Summer Bird as Tonya Walters

Thapelo Ray as Dwayne Jackson

Liam Scholes as Noel McManus

Zak Sutcliffe as Schuey Weever

Tillie Amartey as Stace Neville

Maisey Robinson as Portia Weever

Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie

Aabay-Noor Ali as Mog Richardson

Sonya Nisa as Aleena Qureshi

Miya Ocego as Lois Taylor-Brown

Danny Murphy as Luca Smith

Lucy Chambers as Cat Guthrie

Cory McClane as Ashton Stone

Niamh Blackshaw as Agnes Eccleston

Scarlett Thomas as Izzy Charles

Fintan Buckard as Ben Drake

Savannah Kunyo as Hope Drake

What channel is it on?

Just like past episodes, Waterloo Road series 16 airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. All episodes are available to watch on iPlayer now.

Where was it filmed?

The 15th and 16th series of Waterloo Road were filmed back-to-back in Greater Manchester throughout 2024.

Now read:

Waterloo Road has been renewed for TWO further series

Jon Richardson joins the cast of Waterloo Road

Your ultimate guide to Waterloo Road series 15

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