Waterloo Road series 16


The sixteenth series of the British television drama series Waterloo Road
commenced on 23 September 2025 and ended on 14 October. The series comprised 8 episodes.

Production

Series 16 was announced along with series 17 in August 2024. In September 2025, further details around the series was revealed, with 8 episodes commissioned for the sixteenth series, it also confirmed that Series 16 would premiere on 23 September 2025, with the full series being released on BBC iPlayer prior to transmission.

Casting

The majority of series regulars from the fifteenth series reprised their roles for this series, these included Lindsey Coulson, James Baxter, Jo Coffey, Saira Choudhry, Neil Fitzmaurice, Rachel Leskovac, Kym Marsh, Shauna Shim, and Adam Thomas, portraying Stella Drake, Joe Casey, Wendy Whitwell, Nisha Chandra, Neil Guthrie, Coral Walker, Nicky Walters, Valerie Chambers, and Donte Charles. Katherine Pearce, who played early careers teacher Amy Spratt beginning with the eleventh series, does not return in a regular role after her character resigned in the previous series, but does make a guest appearance in episode six.
In April 2025, it was confirmed that Jon Richardson would join the cast as Darius Donovan, a new media studies teacher at Waterloo Road. Jason Merrells also returns as Jack Rimmer in a series regular capacity, after a guest stint in the fifteenth series.
Returning recurring cast members include Ryan Clayton, Hollie-Jay Bowes, Kerry Howard, Lauren Patel, and Tom Wells as Mike Rutherford, Debs Rafferty, Serena-Michelle Davies, Jas Sharma, and Marc Todd.
Returning pupils include Scarlett Thomas, Summer Violet Bird, Liam Scholes, and Thapelo Ray as Donte's daughter Izzy Charles, Nicky's daughter Tonya Walters, Noel McManus, and Joe's former foster son Dwayne Jackson. Other students include Hattie Dynevor and Lucy Chambers as Neil's daughters Libby and Cat, Chiamaka Ulebor, Zak Sutcliffe, Maisie Robinson, Tillie Amartey, Miya Ocego, Sonya Nisa, Aabay Noor Ali, Danny Murphy and Niamh Blackshaw as Shola Aku, school troublemaker Schumacher "Schuey" Weever, his sister Portia Weever, Stacey "Stace" Neville, Lois Taylor-Brown, Aleena Qureshi, Mollie 'Mog' Richardson, Luca Smith, and Agnes Eccleston. Matthew Khan, who portrayed Jared Jones beginning with the fourteenth series, does not return after his character is arrested at the end of last series.
In September 2025, it was confirmed that Fintan Buckard and Savannah Kunyo had joined the cast as Ben Drake and Hope Drake, the grandchildren of headmistress Stella Drake and new pupils at Waterloo Road. Christine Bottomley also joined the cast as Stella Drake's daughter, Sam Drake. In addition, Christopher Jeffers joined the cast as Mitch Swift, the new special educational needs coordinator of Waterloo Road. William Fox makes a guest appearance in episodes three and six as Shuey and Portia's father Pete, after last recurring in the thirteenth series, while Sia Kiwa returns as Lisa Jackson, Dwayne and Zain's mother in episode four, having last appeared in series twelve. In episode six, Denise Black guests as Noel's grandmother Mo, and Francesco Piacentini-Smith returns as former pupil Dean Weever, who last appeared in series fourteen.

Scheduling

The sixteenth series debuted on 23 September 2025 on BBC One. In a difference from previous series, two episodes would air the same night as opposed to one episode weekly. The series was also released as a boxset on BBC iPlayer at 6am on 23 September 2025, as per previous series.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Pupils

  • Scarlett Thomas as Izzy Charles
  • Summer Violet Bird as Tonya Walters
  • Thapelo Ray as Dwayne Jackson
  • Inathi Rozani as Zayne Jackson
  • Chiamaka Ulebor as Shola Aku
  • Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie
  • Zak Sutcliffe as Schumacher "Schuey" Weever
  • Tillie Amartey as Stacey "Stace" Neville
  • Liam Scholes as Noel McManus
  • Maisie Robinson as Portia Weever
  • Aabay Noor Ali as Mollie 'Mog' Richardson
  • Sonya Nisa as Aleena Qureshi
  • Miya Ocego as Lois Taylor-Brown
  • Danny Murphy as Luca Smith
  • Lucy Chambers as Cat Guthrie
  • Niamh Blackshaw as Agnes Eccleston
  • Alfie Corbett as Forest Sumi
  • Teddy Wallwork as Declan Brown
  • Cory McClane as Ashton Stone
  • Bill Bekele as Tyler James
  • Fintan Buckard as Ben Drake
  • Savannah Kunyo as Hope Drake

Recurring

  • Hollie-Jay Bowes as Debs Rafferty; School cleaner and Nicky's sister
  • Lauren Patel as Jas Sharma; Early career English teacher and Nisha's daughter

Guest