Jason Manford joining Waterloo Road as new headteacher Mr Savage
Jason will join the show for series 14
Last updated 27th Feb 2024
Following its revival last year, BBC school drama Waterloo Road has so far seen three new series, with a fourth on the way later in 2024!
As fans of the hit drama will know, actress Angela Griffin returned to the show for series 11, 12 and 13, playing the role of loveable headteacher Miss Kim Campbell, but that's all about to change for series 14!
In news which was announced on Tuesday 27th February, comedian and Absolute Radio presenter Jason Manford has joined the cast, as brand new headteacher Mr Savage.
Speaking about his upcoming new role, Jason said: “What an absolute treat it is to join the cast and crew of Waterloo Road, right here in my home city of Manchester. My kids and I binged the show on iPlayer during lockdown. It’s such a brilliant, iconic show, so I’m dead proud to now be part of its history. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher and now becoming a headteacher, I know I would have been terrible!"
Following the conclusion of series 13 on Monday 26th February, BBC bosses confirmed that Jason's character Steve Savage will have a big impact on both the pupils and staff at Waterloo Road, as well as ruffling a few feathers.
The new appointment has also left fans of the show wondering what will happen to current headteacher Miss Campbell, with bosses teasing they'll 'have to wait and see how the storyline plays out'.
Cameron Roach, Executive Producer of Waterloo Road and Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction, says of the news: "We're thrilled that Jason Manford is joining Waterloo Road, as the show returns for a fourth series since returning to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
"Jason is a phenomenal comic actor, and has fully embraced the tone and spirit of the show, we can't wait for the audience to meet Steve Savage and his son Billy. As with all of our adult cast, Jason has been an inspiring and approachable mentor to our younger cast and crew; we love that a new generation of Northern talent are able to learn their craft alongside brilliant household names. The legacy of Waterloo Road goes from strength to strength."
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As well as the news of Jason's new role, Waterloo Road bosses have also given further updates about the cast for series 14.
Fans will be pleased to know that school staff Adam Thomas (Donte Charles), Kym Marsh (Nicky Walters), James Baxter (Joe Casey), Jo Coffey (Wendy Whitwell), Shauna Shim (Valerie Chambers), Neil Fitzmaurice (Neil Guthrie), Rachel Leskovac (Coral Walker), and Katherine Pearce (Amy Spratt) will all return.
Returning students also includes Aabay Noor Ali (Mollie "Mog" Richardson), Alicia Forde (Kelly-Jo Rafferty), Chiamaka (ChiChi) Ulebor (Shola Aku), Francesco Piacentini-Smith (Dean Weever), Hattie Dynevor (Libby Guthrie), Liam Scholes (Noel McManus), Lucy Eleanor Begg (Caz Williams), Maisey Robinson (Portia Weever), Noah Valentine (Preston Walters), Summer Violet Bird (Tonya Walters), Thapelo Ray (Dwayne Jackson), Tillie Amartey (Stacey "Stace" Neville), and Zak Sutcliffe ("Schuey" Weever).
Series 14 will see the arrival of a new maths teacher, in the form of No Offence actress Saira Choudhry, who will play Nisha Chandra.
New students also include Olly Rhodes as Billy Savage, Nathan Wood as Boz Osbourne, Sonya Nisa as Aleena Qureshi, Miya Ocego as Lois Taylor-Brown, Danny Murphy as Luca Smith and Matthew Khan as Jared Jones.
Series 1-13 of Waterloo Road is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now, with series 14 due to air later in 2024.
Now read:
The brand new series of Waterloo Road is available to watch now
All of the TV shows we can’t wait to return
Race Across the World renewed for fifth series and applications are open