DENISE WELCH SET TO RETURN TO WATERLOO ROAD

IF YOU MISSED IT

Denise Welch is reportedly set to reprise her role on long-running BBC drama Waterloo Road, The Sun reports. The BBC declined to comment when approached by the newspaper.

Loose Women panellist Welch played French teacher Steph Haydock in the first five seasons, before returning for a cameo in series six. A source told The Sun: "The character is certainly one which will live long in the memory of devotees, and it’s an absolute no brainer to have her return."

Meanwhile, last year it was announced that the show was to welcome Lindsey Coulson (EastEnders, The Bay) as the school’s new headteacher. Following the downfall of previous headteacher Steve Savage, played by Jason Manford, Lindsey will make her debut as Dame Stella Drake in the next series of Waterloo Road.

Fans of the show will have seen Mr Savage and his son Billy’s secret catch up with them at the end of the most recent series, as they were outed for murdering Boz Osbourne. Steve’s arrest means that 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 makes her the perfect candidate to reform Waterloo Road.

Stella joins the school as the students become increasingly unruly following the effects of last term and she soon feels out of date as she clashes with the school’s modern pastoral approach. Her unfiltered honesty is both endearing and abrasive.

She tells it as it is and while her intent is to inspire positive change, her methods can sometimes ruffle feathers. Stella might have the students best interests at heart but soon her personal life spills over into the professional and fans will be left wondering what skeletons she could be hiding?

Waterloo Road is a Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North co-production for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.