Kym Marsh has revealed that she’s set to join the cast of the revamped Waterloo Road.
The former Coronation Street star, 42, will play school canteen worker Nicky Walters who has two children in the school, with Kym remarking she ‘can’t wait to get going’ with filming.
The actress, who played Michelle Connor in the ITV soap, will join fellow Coronation Street alumni Rachel Leskovac (playing Head of English Coral Walker) on the BBC show as the full cast for the series is announced.
New role! Kym Marsh has revealed that she’s set to join the cast of the revamped Waterloo Road
Sharing her excitement at the casting, Kym said: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining the fabulous cast of Waterloo Road, it’s such a joy to get the opportunity to film in Manchester again and I can’t wait to get going!’
As well as Rachel, who played Natasha Blakeman on Corrie, other stars joining the cast include EastEnders’ Jo Coffey who will play PA Wendy Whitwell, Wonder Woman’s Vincent Jerome as joint deputy head Lindon King and James Baxter as the other deputy head Joe Casey.
Coronation Street’s Sonia Ibrahim also joins as Jamilah Omar, the school’s social worker, with Shauna Shim of The Worst Witch fame playing music teacher Valerie Chambers and Katherine Pearce (Rules of the Game, Three Girls) portraying Amy Spratt – an early career teacher.
New series: Kym, 43, will play school canteen worker Nicky Walters who has two children in the school, with Kym remarking she ‘can’t wait to get going’ with filming (Pictured, the Waterloo Road school)
Of the casting news, executive producer Cameron Roach added: ‘We’re incredibly excited to announce our new cast, and we believe that alongside the return of Kim Campbell we’re creating some new iconic characters for the next generation of Waterloo Road.
‘We look forward to the audience joining them in the staff room.’
The younger cast of school pupils have yet to be announced.
The lasting casting news comes after it was revealed last month that Adam Thomas, Angela Griffin and Katie Griffiths will return to the Waterloo Road reboot, almost seven years after it was axed by the BBC.
TV star, Kym, who formerly played Michelle Connor in Corrie (pictured right) said: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining the fabulous cast of Waterloo Road, it’s such a joy to get the opportunity to film in Manchester again’
Back on screens: She will join fellow Coronation Street alumni Rachel Leskovac (playing Head of English Coral Walker) on the BBC show as the full cast for the series is announced (Rachel pictured in Coronation Street)
Fellow Corrie star: Coronation Street’s Sonia Ibrahim also joins as Jamilah Omar, the school’s social worker (pictured centre on Coronation Street)
The former Emmerdale star, 33, will get back into character as ex pupil Donte Charles, with Katie, 32, playing his wife Chlo Grainger.
Once the head of pastoral, Kim Campbell has now moved up the workplace ladder to become the namesake school’s headteacher, played by Angela, 45.
Taking to Instagram to share the exciting news, Adam shared a warm embrace with Katie in an adorable reunion snap.
In his caption, he wrote: ‘The news is finally out!!! Donte and Chloe are back!! @kaytgriff ❤️ @waterlooroad coming soon… @bbc @bbciplayer #waterlooroad.’
The Leeds native also shared a photo of the three-piece reading from their scripts while beaming from ear-to-ear, adding that new faces are ‘to be revealed’.
She wrote: Big news! I’m going back to school! I’m so so excited to be returning to @waterlooroad reunited with @adamthomas21 and @theangelagriffin and loads of new faces yet to be revealed. Coming to @bbciplayer later this year. #waterlooroad.’
They’re back! The lasting casting news comes after it was revealed last month that Adam Thomas, Angela Griffin and Katie Griffiths will return to the Waterloo Road reboot, almost seven years after it was axed by the BBC
Posting the same images, Angela chimed in: ‘Here it is!!! My big news! I’m going back to school! I’m ridiculously excited to be returning to @waterlooroad as Kim Campbell…. But this time, she’s the HEAD.
‘I’m reunited with the brilliant @adamthomas21 and Katie Griffiths @kaytgriff (Donte and Chlo all grown up) and loads of new faces yet to be revealed. Coming to @bbciplayer later this year!
‘#waterlooroad #series11 #kimcampbell #newhead #newschool #newchallenge #manchester #theoriginals #actress #actresslife #bts #onset @kaytgriff.’
The secondary school-set show first aired in 2006 and won legions of fans by tackling numerous tough issues over its 200-episode run and now its coming back and will tackle the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on school kids.
Pals: The former Emmerdale star, 33, will get back into character as ex pupil Donte Charles, with Katie, 32, playing Chlo Grainger
In his element: In his caption, he wrote: ‘The news is finally out!!! Donte and Chloe are back!! @kaytgriff ❤️ @waterlooroad coming soon… @bbc @bbciplayer #waterlooroad’
Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, said: ‘Waterloo Road is the perfect lens through which to explore post-COVID Britain, from the perspective of those who have arguably been affected most young people in education.’
The gritty show – which was written by the creators of ITV prison drama Bad Girls – was originally set in Rochdale but later series saw a relocation to Greenock, Scotland.
It has been confirmed that the new episodes will be set once again in Greater Manchester.
The first run of the series featured a slew of familiar faces, such as Loose Women panellist Denise Welch as hapless French teacher Steph Haydock and Hollyoaks actress Chelsee Healey, 33, as ditsy but lovable pupil-turned-secretary Janeece Bryant.
Happy: The Leeds native also shared a photo of the pair reading from their scripts while beaming from ear-to-ear, adding that new faces are ‘to be revealed’
Wow! Once the head of pastoral, Kim Campbell has now moved up the workplace ladder to become the namesake school’s headteacher, played by Angela, 45
It launched the careers of The Capture star Holliday Grainger, 33, and Jenna Coleman, who went on to win awards for her role as companion Clara Oswald in Doctor Who and as Queen Victoria in Victoria.
The series – of which all ten series were released on BBC iPlayer prior to lockdown – tackled issues such as teenage pregnancy, alcohol, and drug addiction, and cancer.
Sensational storylines saw headteacher Rachel Mason (Eva Pope) being exposed as a former prostitute, an explosion rip through the canteen, and pupil Maxine Barlow being shot to death by boyfriend Earl Kelly.
The final episode of the show aired on March 9 2015.
Waterloo Road will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later in 2022.
Drama: The secondary school-set show first aired in 2006 and won legions of fans by tackling numerous tough issues over its 200-episode run (L-R: Lucien Laviscount, Linzey Cocker, Jack McMullen, Darcy Isa, William Rush, Rebecca Ryan, Ben Ryan Davies pictured in 2010)
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