Start date and first look at Waterloo Road series 17
Miss Steph Haydock is back!
Hit BBC drama Waterloo Road is set to return for a brand new term in early 2026, with actress Denise Welch returning as the iconic Miss Steph Haydock.
With an 18th and 19th series also in the works, BBC bosses have now shared the start date and first look at the upcoming new series.
What will happen in series 17?
The BBC say of series 17: 'Known to explore real-life topics affecting teens, families and school staff today, the new series will explore topics including hearing impairment management at schools, young love, exploitation, grief, addiction and family dynamics.
'This January, new Deputy Darius (Jon Richardson) holds the keys to the kingdom – but how far will he go to keep that power? With the arrival of excluded students and familiar faces, chaos ensues at Waterloo Road. Love is in the air, and with prom and a wedding on the horizon, the teaching staff and students of Waterloo Road aren’t shy of any new challenges'.
Check out the first look photos from series 17 below:
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
Waterloo Road series 17 first look
When does it start?
The 17th series of Waterloo Road will begin with a double bill at 9pm on Tuesday 6th January, with all episodes also dropping on BBC iPlayer at 6am.
The news was announced on Thursday 11th December, in a social media post which also shared a number of first look photos.
How many episodes?
Series 17 will be made up of eight episodes.
Is there a trailer?
There's no trailer just yet.
Who is in the cast?
As well as Denise Welch returning to the show, there's a number of other new characters for series 17, including Karl Davies, who played the role of Robert Sugden in ITV/STV soap Emmerdale.
Karl will play a character called Anthony Walters, the ex-husband of school chef Nicky, played by Kym Marsh.
The BBC say: “Anthony arrives as the coach of the girl’s football team that some of Waterloo Road’s very own get involved with, thriving at the sport. His arrival causes a big stir with Tonya and Nicky, who has taken on a new role at the school.”
Actors Freddy Smith (Freddie Hollister), Olivia Booth-Ford (Leoni Tennant), Myra-Sofia Iftikhar (Aisha Azzi), Sana Ali (Badr Azzi), and Isha Kaur (Harleen Lamba) will also join series 17.
Check out all of the confirmed cast list for series 17 below:
Adam Thomas as Donte Charles
Christopher Jeffers as Mitch Swift
James Baxter as Joe Casey
Hollie-Jay Bowes as Debs Rafferty
Jon Richardson as Darius Donovan
Jo Coffey as Wendy Whitwell
Kym Marsh as Nicky Walters
Lindsey Coulson as Dame Stella Drake
Neil Fitzmaurice as Neil Guthrie
Rachel Leskovac as Coral Walker
Shauna Shim as Valerie Chambers
Saira Jackson as Nisha Chandra
Aabay Noor Ali as Mollie “Mog” Richardson
Cory McClane as Ashton Stone
Chiamaka “ChiChi” Ulebor as Shola Aku
Danny Murphy as Luca Smith
Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie
Liam Scholes as Noel McManus
Lucy Chambers as Cat Guthrie
Maisey Robinson as Portia Weever
Miya Ocego as Lois Taylor-Brown
Niamh Blackshaw as Agnes Eccleston
Scarlett Thomas as Izzy Charles
Sonya Nisa as Aleena Qureshi
Summer Violet Bird as Tonya Walters
Tillie Amartey as Stacey “Stace” Neville
Zak Sutcliffe as “Schuey” Weever
What channel is it on?
Waterloo Road airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Waterloo Road series 1-16 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
Now read:
Here's what the original Waterloo Road cast are up to now
Waterloo Road has been renewed for TWO further series
Denise Welch reprises Waterloo Road role as iconic teacher Steph Haydock