List of Waterloo Road characters (series 1)

The following is a list of characters who first appeared in the first series of school drama Waterloo Road, in order of first appearance. The series ran for eight episodes from March 9 to April 27, 2006. The first episode introduces the main cast, which consists of members of staff at the school. Headed up by newly promoted Headmaster Jack Rimmer, Deputy Head Andrew Treneman and Head of Pastoral Care Kim Campbell, the main cast also includes English teachers Izzie Redpath, Tom Clarkson and Lorna Dickey and French teacher Steph Haydock. Head of English Grantly Budgen and school secretary Estelle Cooper feature as supporting characters, along with Izzie's children Chlo and Mika and Chlo's boyfriend Donte Charles. Chlo and Mika's father Jimmy Grainger also appears, as does Donte's father Clarence Charles and Grantly's wife Fleur. Pupils Yasmin Deardon and Janeece Bryant are introduced in episode two, and Lewis Seddon appears from episode three.

Teachers

Jack Rimmer

"Jack Rimmer" redirects here. For the athlete, see John Rimmer.
Jack Rimmer
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Jason Merrells
Duration 2006–2007, 2008
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance regular: Series 3 Episode 6 - guest: Series 3 Episode 19
Classification Main cast
Profile
Occupation Head Teacher

Jack Rimmer, played by Jason Merrells, is the first head teacher featured in Waterloo Road, holding the position from the first episode until early in the third series. Previously the Deputy Head and a History teacher at the school, he becomes when Brian Vaisey suffers a mental breakdown and leaves the school. He hires Andrew Treneman externally to take his place as Deputy Head, and the latter convinces him to work to turn the school's fortunes around. Merrells describes his character as "disillusioned" and with flaws, but "redeemable".[1]

Although sceptical about many of Andrew's ideas, Jack agrees to introduce the Cooler and a house system to introduce a greater sense of discipline and competition within the school. Although determined to save the school in the face of LEA closure, Jack's personal life at times threatens to harm the school; he is briefly accused of fathering a pupil's child, is unable to sack Steph Haydock when she threatens to portray their one-night stand as sexual harassment, and even finds himself caught in a love triangle with his secretary Davina Shackleton and pupil Brett Aspinall. Jack, used to the rough conditions at Waterloo Road, is also prepared to use violence and unorthodox tactics when he sees it necessary; this causes more disagreement with Andrew, but the two unite when Jack expels Lewis Seddon by overturning the tables in the Cooler without touching Lewis himself.

Jack has a great amount of respect for his Head of Pastoral Care Kim Campbell, who he considers to be the best teacher in the school. When Kim is sexually threatened by Lewis, Jack puts his own job on the line to secure Kim's by refusing to accept the LEA's decision to overturn Lewis' expulsion. Knowing the rare level of respect the parent community also holds for Kim, he instigates a gathering of evidence against Lewis' mother's benefit fraud and uses this to blackmail Lewis out of the school. Lewis later returns and attempts to set Jack on fire, but he is saved by Steph and the two resume their relationship (ruining Jack's prospects with LEA inspector Heather Davenport).

In the second series, Jack soon finds himself at odds with ex-pupil Roger Aspinall, whose funding for transforming the school into an Academy has been accepted. Still only Acting Head, there is little Jack can do when Roger decides to fire his old nemesis Grantly Budgen and his lack of support for Roger's actions leads to the latter deciding to appoint Andrew as Acting Head. However, Jack's fortunes soon improve. Andrew is forced to call on him to appease protests from the local community, and he is re-appointed as Acting Head. His relationship with his new secretary Davina, formerly Roger's PA, blossoms and she leads him to discover that a large part of Roger's fortune comes from the pornography industry. He reasserts his authority at the school, starting by reinstating Grantly.

When the interviews for the permanent headship take place, despite Jack's hold over Roger the job is given to external candidate Lyndsay Woodham. However, after Lyndsay witnesses Jack handling an incident with a pupil she turns the job down and Jack is appointed permanently. Steph, still hoping her relationship with Jack will become permanent, attempts to de-rail Jack and Davina's relationship by revealing the latter's previous relationship with Brett, but the two soon reconcile.

After Roger's investment in the school is bought out by American fundamentalist Jerry Preston, Jack is conflicted but still allows the construction work for the Academy to continue. He also faces conflict with Lewis and his family parking their burger van outside the school gates, selling both fast food and hard drugs to the pupils, and is furious to learn that Andrew is leaving the school to take a job in Rwanda. Jack takes control of his problems when Lewis divulges the location of the Seddons' drug factory, and finally ejects Jerry and Roger from the school after seeing the religious bias being introduced to the school. However, his success is short lived when he is confronted by a knife-wielding Jed Seddon in the school playground. Izzie Redpath runs to his aid, but is stabbed in the confrontation and dies in Jack's arms.

Jack is haunted by Izzie's death, increasingly reliant on therapy, prescription medication and Davina's support to carry on. He appoints Eddie Lawson as Deputy Head, and also allows Lewis to return to the school as a canteen assistant. Izzie's fiancé Tom Clarkson blames Jack for Izzie's death, causing more tensions in the school. Jack throws himself into securing gifted and talented pupils, misappropriating government funding to pay families to send their children to Waterloo Road. After another drunken one-night stand with Steph, a guilty Jack proposes to Davina. Davina learns the truth and breaks up with Jack, leaving him devastated.

Eddie eventually learns of Jack's use of funding, and an emergency Board of Governors meeting is called. Facing suspension and an enquiry, Jack instead opts to resign immediately and save the school from further uncertainty. After making his peace with Tom and sharing a final kiss with Davina, Jack leaves Waterloo Road to re-build his life. Later in series 3, Jack meets up with Davina after securing a post in Dubai. He hopes that Davina will come with him, but she is now in a relationship with Tom and so refuses.

Merrells opted to leave Waterloo Road early in the third series because he felt the character of Jack had been exhausted, and the writing was becoming repetitive and "more and more soapy".[2]

Tom Clarkson

Tom Clarkson
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Jason Done
Duration 2006–13
First appearance "1x01, Episode 1"
9 March 2006
Last appearance "8x30, Hero"
4 July 2013
Classification Former; main
Profile
Occupation English Teacher (until 2013)
Head Of Pastoral Care (2007−09)
Head Of English (2009−12)
Deputy Headteacher (2012−13)

Thomas "Tom" Clarkson, played by Jason Done, is the second longest-serving character, having appeared in 147 episodes within the first eight series of the show. Throughout his time on the show, Tom was an English teacher, but has three other positions alongside this. In series 3 and 4, Tom was Head of Pastoral Care and in series 5, he was appointed Head of English. When new headteacher, Michael Byrne (Alec Newman) arrives in series 7, he promotes Tom from Head of English to Deputy Headteacher. When the show relocated to Scotland, Done decided to move with it and Tom appeared in series 8. On 10 April 2013, it was announced that Done had decided to leave the show and that Tom would depart at the end of series 8. Tom's exit scenes aired on 4 July 2013 and saw him fall from the school building after trying to help pupil, Kyle Stack (George Sampson) from jumping.

In the first two series, Tom is caught up in a love triangle with Lorna Dickey, whom he marries, and Izzie Redpath, who he confesses his love for before the wedding. Despite Izzie's reluctance to betray her best friend, she gives in and the pair begin an affair after Lorna has an abortion. When Lorna moves in with Tom and Izzie following her suicide attempt, Tom is suspicious of her motives. After she is attacked by Lorna, Izzie loses her and Tom's child, and breaks up with him after Tom fails to tell her of accusations surrounding him and Stacey Appleyard. Lorna, now suffering from multiple sclerosis, secretly invites both Tom and Izzie to join her on a weekend break and successfully commits suicide. Grieving for their friend, Tom and Izzie reunite, in which Tom proposes. At the end of series two, Izzie is stabbed to death when she attempts to help headteacher Jack Rimmer.

At the start of series three, Tom refuses to forgive Jack and blames him for Izzie's death, which leads to a physical fight when Jack gives Tom the chance to vent his frustrations though the two reconcile upon Jack's resignation. Tom also takes over the care of Izzie's daughters, Chlo and Mika Grainger. Chlo marries Donte Charles without consulting Tom, but after she apologizes, Tom accepts Donte as part of his new family. However, Chlo has an affair with Mika's boyfriend, Brett Aspinall after they spend time together in French tuition, which Chlo struggles at. When the affair is exposed, Chlo flees Waterloo Road in shame. Tom works relentlessly to find Chlo, and after she returns, Tom helps her make peace with Mika. She is also filled with jealousy when Donte begins dating fellow student Celine. After the fire in the last episode of series three, it is revealed in series 4 that Chlo and Donte have reconciled and are hoping to renew their vows for a fresh start. Nevertheless, the much-loved couple find themselves at odds when Chlo falls pregnant. Tom decides to use his personal savings to buy them a flat, allowing Chlo to attend university.

With the distractions of his personal life, Tom is initially depicted as slightly neglectful in the classroom and highly resistant to Andrew Treneman's interference in the school. However, he soon develops as a caring individual who will do anything for the pupils under his care. He began a relationship with Davina Shackleton after Izzie's death, but this relationship ended due to his preoccupation with helping Rose Kelly and her troubled family. He steps down as Head of Pastoral Care after Rose's son Earl murders Maxine Barlow, but is delighted that his old friend Kim Campbell is re-appointed to the role on his recommendation. Tom's relationship with Rose peters out after he learns of the existence of his own son, Josh Stevenson, who attends Waterloo Road as a pupil. After again adjusting to life as a parent, Josh comes out as gay and Tom faces his prejudices to accept his son for what he is. Tom attempts to help Josh's first boyfriend, Nate Gurney's father to also accept his son's sexuality, but is severely beaten and briefly suffers from agoraphobia as a result. This ruins his hopes of a romance with Cesca Montoya and he is later disgusted when it transpires that she had been having a relationship with a pupil.

In series 7, Tom supports Rose and her daughter, Sambuca when Sambuca is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Done names Sambuca's final episode, where Tom locates her in Blackpool and is present as she dies, as his favourite episode of Waterloo Road.[3] Tom is intrigued by new headteacher, Michael Byrne's (Alec Newman) way of learning and is pleased when Michael appoints him as Deputy Headteacher in series 7. Tom briefly resigns when he discovers that Michael has had an affair with his co-deputy headteacher, Sian Diamond (Jaye Jacobs).

Tom is furious to learn that Josh has started smoking cannabis, and is helped by new Head of English, Nikki Boston (Heather Peace) in tackling his son's issues. Although he goes clean, Josh develops schizophrenia and is admitted to hospital. When the LEA in Rochdale opt to close Waterloo Road, Tom learns that he is unlikely to find a Deputy Headteacher post anywhere other than the new Waterloo Road in Scotland, leaving him uncertain of a future. When Josh becomes embroiled in the gang violence engulfing the school, leading to him being shot by Kyle Stack with a crossbow, his mind is made up and they both travel to Scotland.

Tom is initially sceptical about the move to Scotland, but is helped by the recovered Josh's newly positive attitude. Tom is also grieving the death of another of Rose's children, Denzil, who was killed by an out-of-control lorry on the way to Scotland. He initially hides his emotions and neglects to contact Rose about a tribute for Denzil at the school, but after helping pupil, Lula Tsibi with her own family troubles he comes to terms with his loss. He continues to offer his support to the Waterloo Road pupils; he helps a suicidal Tariq Siddiqui find a new purpose in life, eases the tension between Nikki and Scout Allen in the new Pupil Referral Unit, and helps Kacey Barry through issues with her gender identity. When Josh is offered a job by Lorraine Donnegan, Tom reluctantly lets him go and later is forced to bid farewell to Sian when she resigns for hitting a pupil. When Bolton Smilie returns to Waterloo Road after absconding from the army, it is Tom's guidance that he seeks and reveals that he ran away after witnessing the death of his best friend.

When his longtime colleague, Grantly Budgen (Phillip Martin Brown) is diagnosed with severe kidney failure and falls into a coma, Tom responds to his wife Maggie's (Melanie Hill) requests for a donor. Although he begins to doubt his decision, he helps Maggie with the running of the school house and ultimately confirms his decision to donate a kidney. When Grantly awakes from his coma he initially refuses to accept Tom's offer, but Tom and Maggie convince him to change his mind. However, Tom's own life is cut short when Kyle Stack returns to Waterloo Road. Tom is initially unforgiving towards Kyle, suspecting an ulterior motive to his return, but is eventually convinced that a spell in prison has taught Kyle the value of an education. Kyle runs away after being goaded into attacking Barry Barry (Carl Au), and Tom later finds him on the school roof, intending to kill himself. Tom's paternal instincts ultimately lead to his downfall; after admitting that he was wrong and promising to support Kyle in the future, Tom loses his footing while helping Kyle down and falls to his death as staff and pupils of the school watch. Tom dies the way he lived: doing everything and anything to protect and aid the pupils in his care. The next day, recently appointed headteacher, Christine Mulgrew (Laurie Brett) addresses the school and appeals to everyone present to give their all to Waterloo Road in Tom's memory. In the first episode of Series 9, the school continue to mourn Tom and many characters, particularly Kacey, are deeply saddened by the events of the previous term. Homage is paid to Tom on the first day of term by Grantly and a football match, organised by Nikki, is held in his honour. However, this is interrupted by Lisa and Lenny Brown (Caitlin Gillespie and Joe Slater) when their brother, Larry gets arrested.

Tom's death is a mirror image of his first scene: in the first episode, Tom helped the resident headteacher on top of the school roof. In his final scene, Christine (the current headteacher) is trying to help Tom after falling off the roof. Done chose to leave the series after eight series because of a desire to work on different projects, and for Tom to leave while he was still popular and interesting. He was pleased with Tom's exit storyline, as it was dramatic and befitted Tom's character.[3]

Estelle Cooper

Estelle Cooper
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Judith Barker
Duration 2006
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 1, Episode 8
Classification Supporting cast
Profile
Occupation School Secretary

Estelle Cooper is the School Secretary throughout series 1. She has a good working relationship with Jack Rimmer, and displays strong loyalty towards him. She resigns from her post between series 1 and 2, leaving Jack without a secretary at the start of a new term.

Andrew Treneman

Andrew Treneman
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Jamie Glover
Duration 2006–07, 2009
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 2, Episode 12 (regular)
Series 4, Episode 20 (guest)
Classification Main cast (Series 1–2)
Guest cast (Series 4)
Profile
Occupation Deputy Head (2006–07)
English Teacher (2006–07)

Andrew Treneman, played by Jamie Glover, is Deputy Head of Waterloo Road in series 1 and 2. Described by Glover as "blinkered", "focused" and "driven",[4] Andrew joins Waterloo Road from a public school after meeting with Jack Rimmer. Academically focused and principled, but with little experience of the comprehensive school system, Andrew's ideas for the school often bring him into conflict with Kim Campbell.

Andrew's first day at the school sees him in conflict with much of the school, after he calls the police on both Donte Charles and his father Clarence. After learning of the Charles' situation, he eventually backs down and drops the charges, but forces Clarence to apologise for a violent outburst in front of the school. Despite the mixed success of this start, Andrew convinces Jack to work with him to improve the school.

Andrew remains disapproving of Jack's unorthodox approach to discipline, clashes with Kim over the new house system and fails to get the staff room on-side. However, despite their differences Andrew and Kim remain a strong force in both pastoral and disciplinary situations. When Kim is sexually harassed by Lewis Seddon, Andrew finds her crying in her office and for once supports Jack's violence in expelling Lewis. After Kim resigns in the aftermath of the enquiry to her claim, Andrew tries to convince her to stay and ends up kissing her. She agrees to return to work, as long as Andrew never does this again. Series 1 also sees Andrew develop a close relationship with student Janeece Bryant following a museum trip when Janeece steals a replica of a dinosaur tooth. At first, Andrew believed that Janeece was acting maliciously until she reveals that she was genuinely interested in the dinosaurs; Andrew encourages this when he buys her a book and Janeece becomes very passionate about dinosaurs.

In series 2, Andrew is briefly made Acting Head by investor Roger Aspinall. Jack and Kim are both outraged at what they see as a betrayal, but when Andrew cannot cope with the role and hands it back to Jack tensions eventually cool. Andrew briefly embarks on a relationship with Lorna Dickey, but is put off by her erratic behaviour and jealousy of Kim.

When Jerry Preston buys out Roger's investment in the school, Andrew is dismayed to see fundamentalist religion almost instantly replace scientific beliefs in the school. After Lorna commits suicide, Andrew is enraged that Jerry takes over her memorial assembly and describes her as sinful for taking her own life. He interrupts Jerry's speech, and makes the pupils see how narrow-minded Jerry's beliefs are. However, at this point he has already been offered his dream job at a school in Rwanda. While Jack is furious at Andrew leaving him, Kim convinces him to take the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She also praises his actions at Lorna's memorial, when he was initially disgusted at what he had done. Buoyed by her support, Andrew finally realises what Kim means to him and that evening asks her to go with him to Rwanda. She accepts, and they leave together.

Andrew and Kim work together in Rwanda for over a year, but their relationship is never consummated. In series 4, Kim returns to Waterloo Road without Andrew and with a child that is not his. It later transpires that the child, Grace, is not Kim's either; she took her from a Rwandan family in a bid to give her a better life. Still in Rwanda, Andrew confirms to the authorities that Kim had taken Grace, leading to the baby being taken away. Waterloo Road holds a Rwandan relief day and Steph Haydock, believing that there remain unresolved issues between him and Kim, invites Andrew to attend. He accepts, concerned about Kim's welfare but also furious at her recklessness. Although she initially blames Andrew for all her problems, Kim later admits that she made a mistake in taking Grace. Her and Andrew kiss, and they finally begin a sexual relationship.

The next week, Andrew misses his flight back to Rwanda to stay with Kim. However, he does not appear in Waterloo Road again and by the start of series 5 Kim is single once more. The reasons for their break-up are never explained.

Lorna Dickey

Lorna Dickey
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Camilla Power
Duration 2006–07
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 2, Episode 10
Classification Main cast
Profile
Other names Lorna Clarkson
Occupation English Teacher

Lorna Dickey (previously Clarkson) is portrayed by Camilla Power in series 1 and 2. When new husband Tom Clarkson chooses her best friend Izzie Redpath over her, Lorna struggles to move on and a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis leads her to ultimately take her own life.

In the first episode, Lorna is stunned when Tom suddenly calls of their wedding. She begs Izzie to intervene on her behalf, convinced he is seeing another woman. While Izzie is successful in talking Tom round and the wedding goes ahead, Lorna is unaware that Tom declared his love for Izzie when she confronted him and that the two shared a kiss during the wedding reception. Lorna reveals to Tom that she is pregnant on their wedding night, and sensing his lack of enthusiasm enlists Izzie to accompany her to an abortion clinic. However, an incident at the school has led to Tom warming to the idea of fatherhood, and when Lorna pretends to have had a miscarriage their marital problems only increase.

Eventually, Lorna discovers that Tom and Izzie are having an affair. Initially irate, she later writes them both forgiving letters in which she implies a move to Australia. However, she is again hiding her true intent; while the rest of the staff celebrate the school remaining open at the end of series 1, Lorna is seen stepping into a river.

Series 2 reveals that Lorna survived her suicide attempt, and she shocks Tom and Izzie by returning to her job at Waterloo Road. Lorna appears happy and moving on with her life, and while Izzie accepts this Tom is suspicious of her motives. Lorna moves in with Tom and Izzie, claiming her B&B is flooded, and later avoids moving out due to the workload of being unexpectedly made Acting Head of English when Grantly Budgen is fired. She eventually begins to reclaim her life by moving into a new flat and starting a romance with Andrew Treneman. However, her happiness is short-lived; her paranoid behaviour towards Kim Campbell escalates when she stops taking her prescribed anti-depressants, her relationship with Andrew ends and a series of dizzy spells leads to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

Reeling at her diagnosis and turning to Izzie for support, Lorna's emotional outbursts lead to an accident in which Izzie suffers a miscarriage. Tom and Izzie subsequently break up, and with nowhere else to go Tom moves in with Lorna. Lorna tenders her resignation when the fights between her, Tom and Izzie spill over into a departmental meeting, but the three eventually manage to retain a working relationship.

After making the news of her condition public, Lorna is determined to mend relations between Tom and Izzie. She invites both of them on a weekend away, and manages to remind them of happier times. While there, she cuts the phone lines and takes an overdose. Izzie and Tom are unable to revive her, and she dies in front of them. A memorial is later held at the school which is interrupted when an investor, Jerry Preston, accidentally insults Lorna during the service. Enraged, Andrew takes over and ensures that the pupils remember Lorna favourably.

Izzie Redpath

Izzie Redpath
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Jill Halfpenny
Duration 2006–07
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 2, Episode 12
Classification Main cast
Profile
Occupation Head of Drama

Izzie Redpath (Jill Halfpenny) appears in series 1 and 2. Her major storylines involve her love triangle with Tom Clarkson and Lorna Dickey, and her life as a single parent to Chlo and Mika Grainger. Izzie's exit from Waterloo Road is the main focus of the cliffhanger ending to series 2, where she is seen close to death after being stabbed.

Izzie is constantly let down by her former partner Jimmy Grainger, and is often scathing towards him. Her daughters, in particular Mika, are generally more sympathetic towards their father. Izzie is also highly disapproving of Chlo's boyfriend Donte Charles, believing her daughter to be too good for him.

When Tom Clarkson abruptly calls off his imminent wedding to Lorna, the latter turns to Izzie for support. She agrees to talk to Tom, and is stunned when he professes his love for her. Izzie rejects Tom's claims, and convinces him to go ahead with the wedding. However, at the reception Izzie is emotional and despondent when Jimmy fails to turn up to babysit Chlo and Mika. The two share a kiss, but Izzie insists this was a mistake.

On the same night, Chlo and Donte are involved in a road accident where their friend Adam is killed. Izzie is convinced that Donte was solely to blame, even refusing to allow Chlo to change her statement when she insists that she was driving at the time of the crash. Eventually, Chlo tells the truth at Donte's court appearance; he was driving, but she distracted him. Donte is spared prison, and Izzie begins to accept their relationship.

Elsewhere, Izzie's presence continues to cause issues for Tom and Lorna. Izzie accompanies Lorna to an abortion clinic, although Lorna initially tells Tom that she has suffered a miscarriage. After the truth comes out, Tom and Lorna split up and the three manage to re-establish their friendship. However, Tom and Izzie's attraction has not been conquered and they soon begin a relationship. Izzie feels guilty and insists that Tom, who is still sleeping on Lorna's sofa, tells his wife about them immediately. Tom fails to do so, and Lorna only discovers their relationship when she walks in on the two of them together.

Lorna leaves Waterloo Road, appearing to move on in forgiving letters to Tom and Izzie. With some encouragement from Chlo and Mika, Izzie allows Tom to move in to her house and she soon falls pregnant. When Lorna returns to work unexpectedly, Izzie is horrified to learn that she has attempted suicide. Izzie allows Lorna to move in with her and Tom while she looks for her own place, and unlike Tom believes an incident where Lorna falls down the stairs is a genuine accident. Izzie offers her support when Lorna is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but suffers a miscarriage when an emotional Lorna lashes out at her.

Meanwhile, Tom has failed to confide in Izzie about pupil Stacey Appleyard, who has become obsessed with Tom and even got into bed with him while staying over with Chlo. Seeing this as a betrayal, and no longer trusting Tom with her daughters, she kicks Tom out of the house. When Lorna lets Tom stay with her, and attempts to rekindle their relationship, Izzie's anger turns to her as well and her professionalism at work slips. Eventually, Izzie forgives Tom after Lorna manipulates them into going on a weekend retreat with her. However, Lorna has chosen to end her life on the same evening; Izzie realises what she is planning, but it is too late to save her life. Comforting each other after Lorna's death, Tom and Izzie resume their relationship and get engaged.

Izzie has also remained wary about Chlo and Donte's relationship, feeling that Donte is pressuring her daughter into sex. Although this does not happen and Donte acts respectfully to Chlo when her drink is spiked, the two decide to get engaged. In what transpires to be her last conversation with her family, Izzie refuses to allow Chlo to marry and the two argue fiercely. While Tom takes her daughters home, Izzie remains at the school taking a drama club. While leaving the school, Izzie sees Jack Rimmer in a fight with drug dealer Jed Seddon and intervenes. Unknown to her, Jed is holding a knife and she runs straight into it. As Jed flees, Jack remains with Izzie as she lies bleeding.

Series 3 reveals that Izzie died of her injuries, and parental responsibility for Chlo and Mika passes to Tom. When Chlo and Donte have a daughter of their own in series 4, they name her Izzy in memory of Chlo's mother. A plaque dedicated to Izzie's memory remains visible on the school grounds until the Rochdale school is closed at the end of series 7.

Kim Campbell

Kim Campbell
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Angela Griffin
Duration 2006–07, 2009–10
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 5, Episode 20
Classification Main cast
Profile
Occupation Head of Pastoral Care
Art Teacher

Kim Campbell is the Head of Pastoral Care at Waterloo Road in series 1 and 2, and returns in the same role during series 4. Her first stint on the series sees her storylines revolve primarily around her relationship with Deputy Head Andrew Treneman, with whom she ultimately moves to Rwanda with. Upon her return, she struggles to maintain the secret of pretending baby Grace is her own, and later embarks on a misguided relationship with Max Tyler that leads to her conceiving her own child.

In series 1, Kim takes an almost instant dislike to Andrew Treneman when he fails to take into account Donte Charles' home situation. Feeling his lack of state school experience makes him unable to understand what will benefit Waterloo Road, she is resistant to his introduction of house systems and the Cooler. She is uniquely respected by pupils and the local community in the school, and local support is forthcoming when Kim is nearly sexually assaulted by Lewis Seddon in the cooler, but he let her go. She then wanted to resign because she heard that Lewis was only going to be excluded for 15 days. Andrew then attempts to persuade her to stay in her job after this, and after Andrew kisses her; Kim resolves to stay as long as he never does that again.

In Series 2, she finds herself horrified when Andrew takes Jack Rimmer's job, and gives him the cold treatment not knowing that he gave up the job owing to the fact that Roger Aspinall tried to sack her. By the end of the series they slowly warm to each other once more, and Kim is shocked when Andrew tells her he'll be moving to Rwanda. Surprised to realize she actually doesn't want him to go, they go down the pub for Andrew's last night when he asks her to come with him to Rwanda. She accepts and leaves Waterloo Road at the end of Series 2. Steph Haydock takes over the role as Head of Pastoral Care and her friend Grantly Budgen tells Steph that Kim will be returning after her sabbatical.

She eventually returns in Series 4 to find a lot of things had changed. She takes an instant dislike to current Deputy Head Eddie Lawson, but soon she and Rachel Mason become close friends. Kim resumes her role as Head of Pastoral Care and is immediately involved with supporting Chlo Grainger through her teenage pregnancy. All the staff are shocked to see that Kim now has a baby, and Steph deduces that she must have been pregnant before she left for Rwanda and that the baby definitely wasn't Andrew's. Kim confides in Steph that the baby isn't hers and she in fact took it from Rwanda, and it isn't long before immigration also cotton on to this fact. Much to Kim's horror, the baby was taken away again to be returned to her rightful mother, and Kim's reputation is left in pieces. To come to terms with the fact, Kim puts on a Rwandan themed day to raise money and awareness, and is shocked to discover Steph has invited Andrew back in a hope to cheer up Kim. Kim is initially furious at Andrew when discovering he helped immigration find Grace, the baby, before realising it wasn't actually his fault and eventually they get on once more. Andrew decides that he can't return to Rwanda just a week later, and so stays with Kim in Rochdale for the rest of the holidays.

In series 5, Kim finds herself a new relationship with Executive Head Max Tyler, which leaves a lot of people upset. Rachel is shocked that Kim wasn't straight with her, having reserved feelings about Max's capabilities and teamwork herself, while Helen Hopewell is angry owing to the fact she used to have an affair with Max, and threatens to get him in a lot of trouble. Kim makes friends with Jennifer Headley from the LEA, unwittingly knowing that she was in fact Max's wife, and when she finally finds out the truth and when Max hits Rachel's nephew Phillip Ryan, she is left devastated.

However, it isn't long before Kim not only finds herself pregnant with Max's baby, but she also finds herself a new love interest in Christopher Mead. Chris, who is struggling to come to terms with his father and Steph's relationship, becomes sour about new boy Finn Sharkey and leads to Kim's disapproval. When he gets himself another girlfriend, Kim, who has also had to contend with a horrific car accident with old friend Tom Clarkson, is overcome with jealousy before falling into labour. Chris breaks up with his girlfriend before taking Kim to hospital, where she reveals she loves him. Chris, excited about his new relationship, pops into see her next week to find her exhausted from looking after her new baby and with no time for him. She turns away a disappointed Chris, but they remain friends after Kim leaves Waterloo Road at the end of series 5.

Grantly Budgen

Grantly Budgen
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Philip Martin Brown
Duration 2006–13
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 9, Episode 6
Classification Supporting cast (Series 1–2)
Main cast (Series 3–9)
Profile
Occupation English Teacher
Head of English (2006–09)
House Master (2012–13)

Grantly Budgen was initially the Head of English at Waterloo Road and later became the housemaster when the show moved to Scotland. He is the longest-serving character and was the only remaining original character appearing on the show. He made his final appearance in series 9 episode 6 when he died of kidney failure.

A relic of the English department and nearing retirement age, Grantly has had many years to perfect his cynical disenchantment with the teaching profession. He’s slightly scruffy, tired and lacks conviction about anything, especially since he failed to write the novel he’s always believed he had inside him. He’s sarcastic but is often witty with it and his asides in the staff room often prompt a giggle from his colleagues. He always has the pub in mind and a bad thought for either Andrew Treneman high standards, Karen Fisher's low standards or the iron rule Rachel Mason and Michael Byrne tried to bring to the school.

Despite his grumpy personality, he has made many friends including long-standing colleague Tom Clarkson, drinking buddy Steph Haydock, and the firm and intolerant Ruby Fry. The little respect he shows for the pupils in the school he makes up for in the love he shows his wife, Fleur, whom he adores. He has old-fashioned values and believes marriage should be forever – and after a little blip in the marriage in Series four, Grantly and Fleur realised they couldn't be without each other. His close friendship with Steph almost ends his marriage to Fleur as she believes that the two are having an affair (a ruse on Steph's part as she was receiving unwanted attention from Dave Miller); fortunately, the Budgens are able to move on from this. Due to his behaviour, many pupils resent him and only show Grantly respect out of fear; one such example was Roger Aspinall, a former pupil of Grantly's who was bullied by his former teacher. When Roger returned to the school years later, he told resident headmaster Jack Rimmer that he would only donate money to the school on the condition that Grantly was sacked.

Grantly was heartbroken when Fleur was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in series six and tried to care for her whilst hiding his living situation from his colleagues. When Steph returned to Waterloo Road she finally persuaded Grantly that the kindest thing he could do for Fleur was to put her in a care home. Grantly then proves in Series 7 how he would do anything for his wife when he resigns his post to spend their anniversary together despite the fact Fleur know longer knew who he was. After 'kidnapping' her and taking her away to the place they had their honeymoon, Grantly realises that he has lost his wife forever and after a kind word from Tom, who had managed to track them down, he reluctantly returns her to her care-home. It was then when, on her deathbed, Fleur's memory returned to her and they spent their last moments together reminiscing about the past.

It was then when Grantly's relationship with Maggie Croft started. The canteen assistant he had met through a business partnership in Candora Cosmetics comforted him after Fleur's death, and Grantly realised that life held more opportunities for him with her. When Waterloo Road Rochdale was closed, Grantly and Maggie decide to move up to Scotland with Michael and the others, and soon after they were married. When former pupil Bolton Smilie, the two clash and this culminates in Bolton holding Grantly and his class hostage with a loaded gun. Fortunately, Grantly is able to calm Bolton down and peace is restored.

Prone to a drink, betting on the horses and complaining to the Union about anyone who wants anything different of him, Grantly wants an easy life and thinks school is a much nicer place when the kids aren’t there. In season 8 episode 20 Grantly is diagnosed with chronic kidney failure due to untreated high blood pressure and is told that he will need a transplant to survive as the effects are irreversible. However, it seemed help was at hand when his oldest friend Tom Clarkson took pity on him, and offered to donate his kidney to save Grantly's life. But it wasn't to be when, at Grantly's surprise party, Tom falls off the roof of the school and tragically dies. The next term Grantly leads a memorial service in honour of his friend.

He is also a slave to gambling, with one storyline in series 3 almost getting him sacked, and also homeless. But nevertheless Grantly has returned fighting fit and raring to go. His lack of enthusiasm taken into account, he does sometimes show signs of affection to pupils especially to Rhiannon Salt, who was heartbroken to hear the news that Grantly might be dying of kidney failure. He also formed a close bond with Harley Taylor; noticing that Harley loved to read but struggled to do so, Grantly gave him extra lessons and the bonded over their love of literature. When the school relocated to Scotland, Harley became a resident at the schoolhouse where Grantly worked and he was very upset when he learned that his old teacher may soon die. While asleep, Grantly slips into unconsciousness and is rushed to hospital, where he is put onto life support. Tom tells Maggie that he will gladly be Grantly's donor. When Grantly is taken off life support, Maggie, Tom, Harley and Rhiannon are all stunned to learn that he is breathing on his own. Grantly is let out of hospital in the final episode of series 8, though has to stay in a wheelchair. Grantly is upset to learn that Tom will be giving him his kidney, but accepts the idea. There is devastation when Tom dies after falling from the roof whilst trying to save pupil Kyle Stack. In series 9, Grantly returns to teach at Waterloo Road after some time off work, where Maggie delightfully tells him that there is a donor waiting for him. Grantly postpones it though, as he is trying to find Harley's poem and help new friend Sue Spark with discipline. During an assembly, poor Grantly sadly dies in his chair after twenty-nine years of service to Waterloo Road, leaving Maggie and the rest of the students and staff devastated. The old English teacher dies after finishing off his friend Tom Clarkson's work with the poetry competition after deciding that, after all the years of grumbling and complaining, the needs of his pupils and his colleagues are far more important than his own. When Daniel Chalk returns to Waterloo Road, he comforts Maggie after hearing of Grantly's death.

Steph Haydock

Steph Haydock
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Denise Welch
Duration 2006–10
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 5, Episode 20 (regular)
Series 6, Episode 10 (guest)
Classification Main cast (Series 1–5)
Guest cast (Series 6)
Profile
Occupation French Teacher (2006–10)
Head of Pastoral Care (2007–08)
Finance Director (2008)

Stephanie 'Steph' Haydock has little control over her classes, limited respect from the pupils and is a pretty hopeless teacher. Whilst this does bother her deep down, she manages to remain in denial about her failings. Everyone is fond of her and they turn a blind eye to the brutal fact that she’s a rubbish French teacher and, despite many threats of dismissal, she has become one of Waterloo Road's longest serving teachers. Despite her promiscuity and penchant for the odd tipple, she was a great source of comfort and was close friends with many staff members such as Grantly Budgen, Tom Clarkson and Kim Campbell.

Steph harbours a maternal nature which she displayed by taking in troubled pupil Maxine Barlow, who has spent several years living in a car and in need of help. Steph eventually decides to foster Maxine and continues to look after her until Series 4. After Kim Campbell leaves Waterloo Road, Steph takes on her role as Head of Pastoral Care owing to the fact nobody else wanted it, but is soon replaced by Tom Clarkson after a succession of failed attempts from her in this role. Steph and Jack Rimmer, the headmaster in Series 1 to Series 3, have an on-again, off-again relationship, ending several times after Jack leaves her for Davina Shackleton. After one break up, Steph is hurt when Jack wishes to sack her and threatens to incriminate him for sexual harassment; however, any hard feelings between the pair disappear when Steph saves Jack from pupil Lewis Seddon They have a one-night stand in the middle of Jack's relationship with Davina when he feels vulnerable after the death of Izzie, and so Steph is shocked when later that week Jack and Davina announce their engagement. Filled with jealousy, Steph tells her new friend Matt Wilding about her affair with Jack, who later mistakenly tells Davina and ends her and Jack's relationship. In spite of this, Jack was able to forgive Steph and gives her a heart-warming farewell when he leaves the school. A few weeks later, a body of a dead baby is found in the grounds of Waterloo Road, and after an investigation Steph finds out it belonged to Maxine before she had been fostered. Very shaken up, Steph comforts Maxine and manages to find her a way forward in the school.

After Jack leaves, new head Rachel Mason gives Steph a new role of Finance Director after her catastrophic attempt of being Head of Pastoral Care, but this goes horribly wrong too when Steph tries to seduce rich Frenchman Monsieur Le Gard hoping that he would give the school money for a new language lab. After Steph gets fired from this position, she breaks down and confides in Maxine that she thinks of herself useless, but Maxine manages to restore Steph's faith in herself again. Series 3 also sees Steph show her softer side to the pupils of Waterloo Road when she, alongside old friend Tom Clarkson, fiercely protects student Janeece Bryant from a supply teacher who has been grooming her.

In Series 4 Steph finds herself not at all keen on Maxine's new boyfriend, the infamous Earl Kelly, and when she finds out Maxine has been lying to her about her relationship, she is extremely angry. Maxine then finds out a terrible truth about Earl, and tries to apologise to Steph before being killed at their home by Earl, which leaves Steph devastated. Unable to cope, Maxine's friend Janeece turns to Steph for comfort but she completely ignores the young girl though the two eventually find closure after a heart to heart. Later in this series, Steph finds herself in a complicated situation when she clashes with pupil Tasha Lefton who acts up in class; however, events take a turn for the worst when Tasha collapses on the floor and Steph discovers that she is a diabetic refusing to take insulin to stay slim. She also spends the first part of the series avoiding Security Dave, who has a crush on Steph. To put him off, she pretends that she is having an affair with Grantly which nearly results in the breakdown of his marriage as well as a public showdown with Fleur. Despite this, Steph continues to cause trouble, most notably when she goes on the run with baby Grace after her friend Kim brought the baby into the country illegally.

In Series 5 Steph finds herself with a new head of department to contend with, but soon discovers the new French teacher Jo Lipsett is actually sympathetic to Steph's problems and wants her to become a better teacher. Later on in the series, after Steph and Jo have become friends, Steph bribes two pupils to nominate Jo for an outstanding teacher award, and Executive Head Max Tyler uses this as an excuse to get rid of Steph, claiming that the award has shone a spotlight on the whole department. Jo leaves with Steph out of sympathy, but Rachel soon sorts the situation out and hires both the language teachers again. She also provides a shoulder to cry on when Ruby Fry confides in her about her split from husband John and her subsequent addiction to tranquilizers, and supports Tom when he tries to connect with his son Josh Stevenson.

In the Spring term of Series 5, Steph finds herself a new boyfriend who happens to be the father of Deputy Head Christopher Mead. After uncomfortable feelings about the relationship, Chris tells Steph that Oliver Mead doesn't really love her and is only going out with her to get back at his ex-wife. Devastated, Steph breaks up with Oliver, but Chris soon realises his selfish attitude and manages to smooth it over between them again at the school prom. Steph left Waterloo Road, having finally given up her promiscuous behaviour to settle down with Oliver but makes a brief comeback in Series 6 to support close friend Grantly Budgen when he struggles with his wife's Alzheimer's.

Students

Mika Grainger

Mika Grainger
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Lauren Drummond
Duration 2006–08
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 3, Episode 20
Classification Supporting cast
Profile
Occupation Student

Mika Louise Grainger, played by Lauren Drummond, is a pupil at Waterloo Road in series 1 to 3. The daughter of Izzie Redpath and Jimmy Grainger, Mika and her sister Chlo are later cared for by Tom Clarkson after their mother's death.

Mika causes less concern for Izzie than her younger sister, though she is far more tolerant of her errant father than the rest of her family. When Jimmy brings his bid for parental responsibility to the school, Mika helps convince Izzie to make peace with him.

In series 2, Mika features more prominently. Meeting Brett Aspinall at Waterloo Road's new sixth form, she is instantly attracted to him and later goes to his house with fellow pupil Leigh-Ann Galloway. Unfortunately, Leigh-Ann's jealousy of her and Brett leads to the instigation of a vicious bullying campaign against Mika. When Mika lashes out at Leigh-Ann at school, it is her who is suspected of bullying. She confides in Steph Haydock, but is still led to attempting an overdose. She is saved by Tom Clarkson, finally tells Izzie of the extent of the problem but is relieved to find that Leigh-Ann has changed her mind and ceased her campaign.

Despite some insecurities over his relationship with Davina Shackleton, Mika and Brett eventually get together. When Brett sleeps with Chlo, now married to Donte Charles, both couples break up and Mika's anger at her sister leads her to run away. Initially feigning a lack of care for Chlo's whereabouts, Mika is eventually convinced she is in danger and forgives Chlo on her return. The news that Chlo has been found is broken to her by new Head Teacher Rachel Mason, who supports her after she gets drunk and launches a public outburst against Brett.

Rachel later convinces Mika to change Brett's mind about leaving the school, as he needs to take his share of responsibility for the fallout of his affair. Mika thinks she might be pregnant, and when her test is negative she is outraged that Brett was hoping for a child to bring them closer together. The two star as romantic leads in the school musical, and Mika has to put aside her anger to portray convincing chemistry. Following advise from Tom and Rachel, Mika resumes her friendship with Brett and they both become very passionate about the environment. Mika voices her views on the school council and targets deputy headmaster Eddie Lawson. When Mika holds a protest at the school, it is Eddie who attempts to dissuade her from continuing though she only stops when she accidentally pushes Tom off a ladder.

Mika last appears during the fire at the end of series 3, where Chlo narrowly escapes with her life. She then leaves to attend university with Brett and they continue their relationship.

Chlo Grainger

Chlo Charles
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Katie Griffiths
Duration 2006–09
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 4, Episode 20
Classification Supporting cast
Profile
Occupation Student
Hairdresser (2008)

Chloe Isabelle 'Chlo' Grainger (Katie Griffiths) appears as a pupil in the first four series. Daughter of Izzie Redpath and Jimmy Grainger, Chlo and her sister Mika are raised by Tom Clarkson after Izzie is killed. She marries Donte Charles in series 3, and they later have a daughter called Izzy.

In the first episode, with Izzie at Tom and Lorna Dickey's wedding and Jimmy not fulfilling his babysitting duties Chlo sneaks out to spend time with her boyfriend Donte. Donte takes his father's limousine and goes on a joyride with Chlo and their friends Adam and Holly. When a drunk Chlo sits on Donte's lap and obscures his view, the limo collides with another vehicle; while Chlo and Donte are uninjured, Holly is left in a coma and Adam is killed. Donte is held in police custody, and Chlo is plagued with guilt.

Chlo agrees with Donte's plan for them both to claim they were driving at the time of the accident, so the courts have no choice but to throw the case out. She even steals Jimmy's van to prove she is able to drive. However, this pact is easily seen through and Chlo is too scared to tell the truth despite what this means for Donte. Chlo finally tells the truth in court, and although Donte is found guilty a suspended sentence is given as a sentence.

In series 2, Chlo and Donte plan to have sex for the first time but are continually thwarted by Lewis Seddon and Izzie's interference. Eventually Chlo decides they should run away and get married, but Izzie is murdered on the same night and so the plan is abandoned. Instead, they get married during the school day; their fathers agree provide parental permission, though Tom (now guardian to Chlo and Mika) is not informed of the ceremony until Chlo texts him at the last minute. Tom decides to move out of the family's home, but changes his mind when Chlo pleads with him to stay.

Chlo nearly destroys her marriage and family life when she sleeps with Mika's boyfriend Brett Aspinall. Their affair discovered by Donte, Chlo runs away when the news gets out, gets caught up in petty theft and is about to be subjected to sexual contact for money when she finally rings Tom and reveals her whereabouts. Chlo and Mika reconcile, but her and Donte agree to end their marriage. Chlo is upset when Donte starts a relationship with Celine Dixon, but the two eventually reunite when Chlo's life is threatened in the school-wide fire that concludes series 3.

In series 4, Chlo falls pregnant. She decides to give the baby up for adoption, not wanting to throw her life away or disappoint her mother's memory, and will not be convinced otherwise before the birth. Eventually, Kim Campbell convinces her that Izzie would only want her to be happy and upon meeting her daughter she agrees to keep her and names her Izzy after her mother. Also in this series, Chlo finally realises her dream of becoming a hairdresser when Donte buys her a caravan to provide the service to pupils and staff.

Chlo still wishes to go to university, but with her young family to consider this seems financially impossible. Ultimately, Tom surprises her by using his life savings to buy her, Donte and Izzy a flat near university. Though she does not make any further appearances after series 4, she continues to be mentioned on-screen. When Chlo's friend Janeece Bryant has doubts over her pregnancy, she and Tom have a heart-to-heart and he reminds her that Chlo is doing well for herself, despite being a teenage mother. Later, when Tom's son Josh Stevenson argues with his father regarding his relationship with a male classmate, he asks Tom if he was as strict with Chlo regarding her boyfriends.

Donte Charles

Donte Charles
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Adam Thomas
Duration 2006–09
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 4, Episode 20
Classification Supporting cast
Profile
Occupation Student
Entrepreneur

Donte Charles is played by Adam Thomas, and was the original bad boy of Waterloo Road. He is dyslexic and is the boyfriend, and later husband of, Chlo Grainger. He makes his debut in the first episode of Waterloo Road, where he quickly ignites a feud with new deputy headmaster Andrew Treneman after Donte steals another pupil's bus pass. The situation worsens after Andrew confiscates Donte's phone during a lesson; the ensuing argument results in the arrest of Donte's father Clarence after he assaults Andrew although he is released without charge.

Donte is known throughout the school for his various misdemeanors, usually with his on-off girlfriend Chlo, his friend Janeece Bryant or enemy Lewis Seddon. However, the turning point in Donte's life is when he steals his father's limousine and the resulting crash kills his friend Adam Deardon. Donte is wracked with guilt and is sent to prison for his actions and the student body turn against Donte; Janeece and Adam's sister Yasmin ask school bully Hadleigh Flynn to get revenge on Donte for Adam's death. Flynn threatens to stab him but he is saved by Kim Campbell. Donte is not punished for his actions and his behaviour considerably improves. While in prison, Donte suggests that he and Chlo marry.

Clarence leaves Rochdale briefly in series 2 and Donte plans to lose his virginity to Chlo; however their plans are foiled by Lewis and the two clash repeatedly during the series. Donte also gets on the wrong side of Chlo's mother Izzie Redpath after she learns of their intention to have sex. Upon Izzie's death however, he comforts Chlo. The pair get married in the series 3 premiere despite interference from Chlo's adoptive father Tom Clarkson. Eventually, Tom warms to the marriage but it nearly ends after Chlo begins an affair with her sister's boyfriend Brett Aspinall. Donte is livid when he discovers the truth and he attacks Brett with a baseball bat; however, despite starting a relationship with Celine Dixon, still retains feelings for Chlo. This is evident after she runs away from home and a devastated Donte frantically searches for her. When Chlo is trapped in a fire at the end of term, Donte rescues her and the pair finally reunite.

Series 4 sees Donte's final year of secondary school and he decides to take a more entrepreneurial route as he sells various items to the students of Waterloo Road. He supports Janeece following the death of her best friend Maxine Barlow, buys Chlo a van in which she can live her dream to be a hair dresser and later asks her to renew their wedding vows. Towards the end of the series, the Charles' marriage suffers again as Chlo is pregnant and whilst Donte is ecstatic, Chlo is not. She plans to put the baby up for adoption, to Donte's horror. However, when their daughter is born, Chlo cannot go through with the adoption to Donte's relief. He and Chlo later move to Manchester with their daughter, named Izzy after her maternal grandmother, and Chlo attends university.

Yasmin Deardon

Yasmin Deardon
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Rhea Bailey
Duration 2006
First appearance Series 1, Episode 2
Last appearance Series 1, Episode 8
Classification Supporting cast
Profile
Occupation Student

Yasmin Maria Deardon appears as a pupil throughout series 1. Grieving for her brother Adam, killed in a car accident, her and best friend Janeece Bryant enlist school bully Hadleigh, to make Donte Charles pay for his death. Donte is cornered in a store cupboard while the police arrive at the school to arrest him. After reading a letter Donte wrote to Adam, Yasmin realises her mistake and reveals Donte's location to the police. She forgives Chlo and Donte at the latter's trial, but her parents refuse to do so.

Janeece Bryant

Janeece Bryant
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Chelsee Healey
Duration 2006–12
First appearance Series 1, Episode 2
Last appearance Series 8, Episode 6
Classification Supporting cast (Series 1–4)
Main cast (Series 6–8)
Profile
Occupation Student (2006–09)
School Secretary (2010–12)

Janeece Kylie Marie Bryant was a pupil, and later secretary, at Waterloo Road. She has appeared as a regular character in all series (other than series 5) until her final departure in series 8. Janeece is one of Waterloo Road's longest-serving original characters, alongside Tom Clarkson and Grantly Budgen, and is the third longest-running character in the show's history. In addition, she is the longest serving female character.

Janeece first appeared on Waterloo Road as cheeky pupil with a big heart. During her time as student at Waterloo Road she was forever getting herself into trouble, usually accompanied by her best friend Maxine Barlow and good friends Chlo Grainger and Donte Charles. During her final year of school, she also had a brief relationship with fellow pupil Bolton Smilie. Janeece returned to Waterloo Road a year later pregnant and hoping to become the new school secretary. She later gave birth to her daughter Cheryl Bryant whom she sometimes had difficulty caring for. She was however always supported by her best friend Daniel Chalk and good friends Ruby Fry and Maggie Croft. Janeece left Waterloo Road for Ibiza when she realised she had to re-evaluate her life after her carelessness caused young Cheryl to be injured.

Janeece is first introduced as a mouthy pupil who is eager for revenge on Donte Charles for the death of Adam Deardon. Together with Adam's sister Yasmin and another pupil Hadleigh Flynn they terrorize Donte trying to force him to admit responsibility for Adam's death. They lock Donte in a storage room and Hadleigh holds him at knife point. It is only when Miss Campbell intervenes that they stop bullying Donte. When Andrew introduces a house system to Waterloo Road Janeece is proud to be elected head of the Canary house and is determined to do whatever it takes to win as many house points as possible. When rival captain Lewis Seddon as his house the Kingfishers begin to top the league tables by cheating with their coursework Janeece is quick to implement the same system into the Canary house. When they are both discovered by Kim Campbell their titles as house captains are taken away much to Janeece's disappointment.

When a visit from the Local Education Authority occurs Jack organises for the school's most disruptive pupils to go on a school trip to the museum. Janeece complains at first about having to go but when she is there she really enjoys herself. She finds herself particularly interested in the dinosaurs and attempts to take a replica dinosaur tooth as a souvenir. She is caught however and forced to give it back and apologise much to her dismay. She later explains to Andrew Treneman that she only took the tooth because she had never been to a place like this before and she was so fascinated by the dinosaurs. Andrew then buys her a book about dinosaurs and encourages her to learn more about them. This leads Janeece to become very passionate about dinosaurs.

In series 2, Janeece adopted a more positive attitude to her studies after her failing her GCSE's and continued to grow close to Andrew. On one occasion, he confiscated her mobile phone from her, much to her chagrin. Janeece stole her phone back from Andrew but when her friend Donte called her as a joke, Andrew took it back. Janeece, realising that she needed to test herself allowed him to keep the phone when he offered to return it, showing how she had grown since her first appearance. However, she still got into mischief with her new partner in crime Maxine Barlow and the two girls got into serious trouble for burning books that promoted evolution rather than the creationist ideals that they briefly adopted.

Janeece finally enters her sixth form years in series 3 and eagerly attends Chlo and Donte's wedding during the series premiere. However, when Chlo's affair with Mika's boyfriend Brett Aspinall is revealed, Janeece and Maxine both turn their backs on her in favour of comforting Mika, though they eventually reconcile. Janeece continues to further her interest in dinosaurs and whilst conducting an archaeological dig with Karla Bentham, they discover the skeleton of a dead baby in the grounds. Janeece is disturbed by the experience and is shocked when she discovers that the baby was Maxine's. Janeece informs Maxine's guardian Steph Haydock and Steph, Maxine and her ex-boyfriend Lewis give the baby a proper burial. She also manages to earn a work experience at a museum to her delight but is angered by her boss who soon sacks her- Janeece responds by locking him in a cupboard. However, Rachel Mason catches her and Janeece is forced to work at a care home with Maxine and despite clashing with her new boss, Janeece befriends the elderly residents and learns to maintain a positive attitude in all situations.

Janeece grows tired of never having a proper boyfriend and embarks on a relationship with supply teacher Wilson Bingham, though she is unaware that he is grooming her. Chlo is concerned when she discovers Janeece's secret and tells Tom Clarkson whilst Steph warns Wilson to keep away from Janeece, even giving her a detention in order to keep her safe. Realising that time is running out, he takes Janeece to Manchester and continues to treat her and ultimately takes her virginity. Janeece is thrilled but her good mood is soured when Wilson dumps her and runs off with her clothes; a sobbing Janeece calls Chlo and Maxine to rescue and she is traumatised as a result of the incident.

In series 4, Janeece manages to put her ordeal behind her but is wary of new student Earl Kelly, who has taken an interest in Maxine. Their romance takes a nasty turn for the worse however when Earl threatens Maxine with a gun and Janeece and Earl fight over it. However, the fight comes to an abrupt end when Maxine is shot and she dies in the arms of Steph and Janeece. She is distraught over her best friend's murder and when Bolton Smilie takes part in a boxing match, he promises Janeece that he will dedicate his victory to Maxine. Janeece and Bolton soon start a relationship but he becomes jealous when Janeece receives new found attention following a breast augmentation and they subsequently separate. At the end of the year, Janeece is thrilled to see Andrew again when he returns to the school and later leaves, having graduated from Waterloo Road.

Janeece returned to Waterloo Road in series 6 and became the new secretary, much to horror of Grantly Budgen. She quickly grounded herself into her new role and proved to be very loyal towards new headteacher Karen Fisher. Janeece fell pregnant prior to her return but did not feel ready to be a mother, coming to blows with food technology teacher Ruby about Janeece's lax attitude towards parenthood. However, when she learned that Ruby was unable to conceive, Janeece suggested that she hand her baby over to her. Problems arose when little Cheryl (named after Cheryl Cole) was born and Janeece realised that she could never give up her daughter, breaking Ruby's heart. Janeece also takes pupil Billie Brooke under her wing when she believes that Billie's mother wants to take her daughter's baby away from her. Despite her dramas, Janeece continues improve herself as a person by paying Grantly to help her pass her English A-Level (in which she receives a grade D, to her delight) and even teaches a secretarial course, though she is conned by Ronan Burley. Nonetheless, it is shown that Janeece has matured and takes on more responsibility, becoming a trusted member of staff.

Series 7 saw Janeece grow close to Chalky when she acted as his protector from the boisterous pupils of Waterloo Road and trained him up in survival techniques. Janeece was quickly proposed to by her boyfriend but he never turned up at the altar because he was too busy stealing all her belongings. Chalky caught him stealing her belongings from her house but was unable to stop him, leaving a crying Janeece at the altar. Chalky accompanies her back to the school and she puts on a brave face in front of the pupils and staff and is later overjoyed when Michael invites her to work at his new school in Scotland.

In series 8, it is clear that Chalky had developed feelings for Janeece and takes advantage of his crush on her to look after Cheryl. However, when she gets in to trouble with Social Services, Janeece is upset when Chalky refuses to help her anymore and realises that she has feelings for him in return. At the same time, Janeece hears from Lorraine Donnegan that she is looking for a PA and plans to apply for the job. However, after a fight with Michael, she quits her job in a rage and her situation worsens when Lorraine reveals that she doesn't think Janeece is the right person for her job. After a heart to heart with Chalky, he ends their brief romance and after offering words of comfort to a pregnant Jade Fleming, Janeece leaves Waterloo Road for Ibiza. She continues to stay in touch with her colleagues and it is Chalky's bond with Cheryl that encourages him to foster a student named Kevin.

Chelsee Healey decided to quit her role in 2012 as she felt that, after six years, the time had come to pursue other projects although she did not rule out a return for Janeece.[5] She later revealed that she was glad that Janeece wasn't killed off.[6]

Lewis Seddon

Lewis Seddon
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Craig Fitzpatrick
Duration 2006–07
First appearance Series 1, Episode 3
Last appearance Series 3, Episode 10
Classification Supporting cast
Profile
Occupation Student (2006)
Waiter (2007)
Canteen Assistant (2007)

Lewis Seddon is one of Waterloo Road's original characters and was the resident school bully.

In series 1, he was made captain of the Kingfisher house and impressed Steph Haydock by how well he had done on his French coursework. However, in actual fact, Lewis had bullied a fellow pupil named Ahmed to complete the work for his house in exchange for money, which encourages Janeece Bryant to pay him to do the homework for the students in her house. When Lewis discovered that Ahmed was also working for Janeece and had deliberately completed the homework incorrectly, Lewis threatens him. However, Kim Campbell intervenes and his house captain title is revoked. Lewis continues to have run-ins with Kim throughout the series, such as when she told him off for his homophobic behaviour. Eventually, a showdown between the two erupts when Kim sends him to the cooler and he attempts to sexually assault her. Kim is traumatised by the incident and headmaster Jack Rimmer threatens to have him excluded from the school. However, the governors decide to only temporarily suspend Lewis (much to Jack and Kim's horror) until Mrs Seddon decides to take him out of Waterloo Road for good. At the end of the series, he attempts to set Jack on fire though he is saved thanks to Steph's chance arrival.

Lewis realises that he needs to change after he assaults a local shopkeeper and gets a job at a local restaurant. He enters into a relationship with Maxine Barlow and continues to cause trouble when he ruins Donte Charles' and Chlo Grainger's night of passion and breaks into his house. However, when Stacey Appleyard is attacked by a rapist, he tries to help her out but is accused of being the attacker. Lewis denies this although Kim doesn't believe him, after his attack on her the previous year. Eventually, the true culprit is found. Lewis is also involved in a bout of drug dealing taking place at Waterloo Road and attempts to tempt Maxine with them though she refuses.

Lewis returned to Waterloo Road, this time working in the school kitchen. Lewis shows his softer side when he hides a wedding cake for Donte and later comforts Karla Bentham when she has a bad day at school. Reunited with Maxine Barlow, she hopes that his new responsibilities will be the making of him. When the skeleton of a baby is found on a school archaeological dig, Lewis is shocked to learn that he is the father and that Maxine is the mother. Lewis blames himself for baby Charlotte's death and he suggests to Maxine that they try for another baby, now that he is earning a regular wage.

Craig Fitzpatrick abruptly left Waterloo Road when he was arrested for assault against his pregnant girlfriend. He was found guilty, but failed to turn up for his sentencing.[7] He last appeared in the series when providing the catering for Rachel Mason's guests from the LEA in the tenth episode of series 3. His departure from the school is never addressed on-screen, although by series 4 Maxine is no longer in a relationship.

Others

Clarence Charles

Clarence Charles
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Steve Money
Duration 2006, 2007, 2009
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 4, Episode 9
Classification Supporting cast (Series 1)
Guest cast (Series 3–4)
Profile
Occupation Limousine driver

Clarence Charles is the father of pupil, Donte Charles. He made regular appearances during the first series, the first being when he attacked deputy head teacher Andrew Treneman in front of a class during an argument over his son's mobile phone. Clarence was arrested and charged with assault, but the charges were dropped when he agreed to apologise in front of the school for his behaviour at the request of head teacher Jack Rimmer. Clarence worked as a limousine driver and, in the first episode, Donte took his father's limousine and crashed it, killing his friend Adam Deardon and seriously injuring Holly Tattersall. Donte spent 3 months on remand before accepting responsibility for the crash and receiving an 18-month suspended sentence, despite Clarence's attempts to persuade Chlo Grainger take the blame.

Clarence was not seen during the second series but was on mentioned from time to time. On one occasion, Clarence spent some time abroad and left Donte in charge of the house but local thug Lewis Seddon broke in and stole Clarence's record collection.

He appeared in the first episode of series 3, when Donte married long-term girlfriend, Chlo and confronted Tom Clarkson when he tried to stop the wedding.

In the Series 4 opener, Donte mentioned Clarence had lent him some money to help Chlo start up her mobile hairdressing business. He was seen again in the second episode when he appeared at Melissa Ryan's adult education class and later attended Rose Kelly's house party where he got drunk, much to the embarrassment of Donte. He made his last appearance in episode 9, helping his son prepare a surprise vows-renewal ceremony for himself and Chlo.

Jimmy Grainger

Jimmy Grainger
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by David Crellin
Duration 2006
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 1, Episode 4
Classification Supporting cast

Jimmy Grainger was the father of Mika and Chlo. He had split from Izzie and was seeing another woman. Jimmy spends one Saturday night watching the television with Mika and Chlo. Chlo persuades him to leave early and go and see his girlfriend. After being banned from looking after his daughters, Jimmy turns up at the school one morning to confront Izzie. Despite the girls’ protests, she refuses to allow him privelages. He turns up at the end of the day after gluing the locks to Izzie’s car doors. Tom Clarkson hits him in the face for insulting her. He reports him for assault and threatens Izzie.

Fleur Budgen

Fleur Budgen
Waterloo Road character
Portrayed by Uncredited
Lorraine Cheshire
Duration 2006, 2007, 2009-10, 2012
First appearance Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance Series 7, Episode 25
Classification Supporting cast

Fleur Budgen is the bedridden, overweight wife of Grantly Budgen. She appeared in the very first episode, in a non-speaking uncredited appearance at the wedding of teachers Tom and Lorna Clarkson.

She later returned in Series 3 (as played by Lorraine Cheshire). She appeared when her husband's gambling problem became evident as Grantly was trying to keep her upstairs as all the downstairs furniture had been sold to either fund his habit or pay the debts caused by it. Fleur eventually made it out of the house, much to the derision of some teenagers in a passing car who called her "Mrs Blobby" due to her stature. In Series 4, she returned when Security officer Dave Miller told her that Grantly was seeing Steph Haydock, which led to her slapping the teacher in the middle of her French lesson and throwing Grantly out of their home. Determined to put things right between the couple, Steph arranged for the two to meet at the school's speed dating event and the Budgen's managed to get their marriage back on track.

In Series 6, it was revealed that she is suffering from Alzheimer's after Fleur walked barefoot to the school to give Grantly a clean shirt and ended up in the Food Technology office, much to Ruby Fry's shock. Grantly, out of loyalty to his wife and his wedding vows, refused to put his wife in a care home despite the protests of both Steph and Ruby, despite Fleur's deteriorating mental health. Although Grantly eventually relented, he found that he could not afford the fees until headmistress Karen Fisher donated some of the money from the school's fundraising day to a very grateful Grantly.

Fleur returned one last time for a single episode in Series 7 when Grantly, in a last-ditch attempt to help his wife remember him, took her to the place where they had spent their honeymoon. The effort pays off as Fleur finally remembers Grantly before passing away peacefully beside her devout husband. Grantly was left devastated by Fleur's death and sought comfort in close friend, and later second wife, Maggie Croft.

References

  1. ↑ "Press Office - Waterloo Road: Jason Merrells". BBC. 2006-03-09. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  2. ↑ Karen Price (2007-11-19). "‘Cutting It’ doesn’t cut it for Jason aynmore". Wales Online. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  3. 1 2 Published Thursday, Jul 4 2013, 00:02 BST (2013-07-04). "'Waterloo Road': Jason Done on bowing out as Tom Clarkson - Waterloo Road Interview - Soaps". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  4. ↑ "Press Office - Waterloo Road: Jamie Glover". BBC. 2006-03-09. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  5. ↑ Published Wednesday, Sep 19 2012, 12:54 BST (2012-09-19). "Chelsee Healey "needed to" leave 'Waterloo Road' Janeece role - Waterloo Road News - Showbiz". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  6. ↑ Published Thursday, Sep 20 2012, 10:07 BST http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s24/waterloo-road/news/a407088/waterloo-road-chelsee-healey-im-glad-they-didnt-kill-me-off.html (2012-09-20). "'Waterloo Road' Chelsee Healey: 'I'm glad they didn't kill me off' - Waterloo Road News - Showbiz". Digital Spy.
  7. ↑ Published Friday, Sep 14 2007, 10:00 BST (2007-09-14). "Warrant issued for 'Waterloo Road' star - Waterloo Road News - Showbiz". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
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