The Teacher series 3: Cast of new thriller led by stars of Unforgotten, Madame Blanc, and Line of Duty
Victoria Hamilton follows in the footsteps of Sheridan Smith, and Kara Tointon in this anthology series
The Teacher is back with a series 3 on Channel 5 and, this time, the anthology series has a brand new cast of famous faces.
While series 1 followed Sheridan Smith’s teacher after being accused of sexual assault on a pupil, series 2 saw Kara Tointon’s character grappling with a missing student on a school trip.
Now, series 3 introduces Victoria Hamilton’s Helen Simpson, a teacher with 30 years’ experience. Although she is hugely experienced, she struggles with the “woke ideologies of the younger generation”. And, when she clashes with influential female student Cressida Bancroft, there begins a grudge match which escalates into something far more serious.
Read on to find out who plays who in the cast of The Teacher series 3.
The Teacher series 3 cast: Victoria Hamilton stars as Head of Drama Helen Simpson
Victoria Hamilton, who leads the cast as Helen, is a well-known actress of theatre, TV, and film. In 2025, she portrayed one of four suspects in Unforgotten series 6. And, yes, she DID play a university lecturer suspended for “inappropriate” behaviour including racism.
Doctor Foster fans will know Victoria for playing long-suffering wife Anna in the much-missed BBC drama, opposite Dalgliesh’s Bertie Carvel. She reprised the role in the spin-off Life three years later.
London-born actress Victoria, now 54, has been on our screens for three decades. One of her first ever television roles was as Mrs Forster in Pride and Prejudice in 1995. That same year, she donned her corset once again to play Henrietta Musgrove in Persuasion.
She went on to star in Cone Zone, Mansfield Park, The Savages and Babyfather among countless others. In 2007, she played Esther in The Time of Your Life and, a year later, portrayed Ruby Pratt in Lark Rise to Candleford. She obviously likes period costume!
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After appearing in The Game, and What Remains, Victoria starred in what is arguably her most significant role to date. Between 2015 and 2017, played Anna in Doctor Foster, and reprised the role in the spin-off series Life.
Victoria portrayed The Queen Mother in 17 episodes ofThe Crown from 2016 to 2017. And it wasn’t her first time playing a member of royalty. She won the role of Queen Victoria in the 2001 television production, Victoria & Albert, portraying the monarch in her early years.
Other notable roles include Senator Meaghan Sullivan in Deep State, Anna Marshall in Cobra, Ruth Jones in The Trick, and Dora Lang in series 4 of McDonald & Dodds. Most recently, she portrayed Superintendent Verity Pound in The Crow Girl on Paramount+, and Dodie Gimball in Slow Horses.
Steve Edge plays Sam’s dad Terry Simpson
Actor Steve Edge, 53, plays Helen’s ex-husband Terry Simpson in the cast of The Teacher series 3 on Channel 5. Steve is perhaps most famous for his comedic roles in Benidorm, Scarborough and Phoenix Nights. He’s also well liked as Dom Hayes in The Madame Blanc Mysteries, a role he’s played ever since 2021.
He first appeared as Alan in That Peter Kay Thing in 2000. Steve went on to star in Peter Kay’s 2001 Phoenix Nights, and the subsequent spin-off Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere in 2004.
He’s had smaller parts in Cold Feet, No Angels, Peep Show, Christmas Lights, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, and The Street.
In 2005, he played Doddsy in Mike Bassett: Manager, as well as Sgt. Swithenback in I’m with Stupid. The actor starred as Clint in The Visit, Terry in The Cup, Mr Styles in Scallywagga and Fergie in Starlings.
Benidorm fans will know him as Billy, a role he played from 2016 to 2018, and perhaps Bigsy in Scarborough. If you look closely, you’ll spot Steve in the 2014 film Paddington, too! He played the security guard at the Natural History Museum in London.
More recently, Steve portrayed Freddie in Death in Paradise, Simon in one episode of Ted Lasso, and DS Collins in the cast of Until I Kill You on ITV.
The Teacher series 3 cast: Rochenda Sandall portrays teacher Tessa Stewart
Grimsby actress Rochenda Sandall, 38, portrays Helen’s friend Tessa Stewart. Line of Duty fans will know Rochenda for playing the central character of Lisa McQueen in series 5 of the seminal cop drama. Lisa McQueen was a former senior figure in the Organised Crime Syndicate, who later lived under an alias in witness protection. She got undercover policeman John Corbett killed when she realised he was the police informant.
Funnily enough, Rochenda’s first ever TV role in 2013 was playing a police officer. She portrayed PC Jenny Briggs in an episode of Doctors that year. She played two different police officers – PC Sandford and DC Davies – in Corrie in 2015 and 2016, too. Subsequent roles included Jean Reid in Sean Bean drama Broken, and Anna in Love, Lies and Records.
Between 2019 and 2020, Rochenda starred as DC Warren in the crime drama Criminal: UK, before moving on to play Lucy in 2021’s Deceit, Azure/Anna in Doctor Who, and Kate Miller in Idris Elba thriller Hijack. More recently, she’s been popping up everywhere and played Cat Braithwaite in Prime Video’s The Rig, and the dipsy but lovable Fi in Amandaland.
She’ll soon appear in ITV’s Secret Service opposite Gemma Artheron. Other notable appearances in her past include roles in Girlfriends, Into the Badlands, Black Mirror, Silent Witness, Moving On, Small Axe, and Hatton Gardens.
In real life, she’s in a long-term relationship with Under Salt Marsh and Trigger Point actor Mark Stanley.
Alice Grant is student Cressida Bancroft
Young actress Alice Grant takes on the role of “woke warrior” Cressida Bancroft in the cast of The Teacher series 3. She’s an influential student at elite private boarding school Cheetham Hall who dislikes teacher Helen and sets out to make her life a misery – even if it includes involving Helen’s son Sam.
Helen digs into Cressida’s past, where she uncovers a world of sadness and neglect. But does that excuse some of Cressida’s vile behaviour? And does Helen learn enough about Cressida to stop her final act of revenge?
Alice is a fledging actress, and her role of Cressida is only her second TV appearance so far. She previously played Susan Villiers in the 2024 series Mary & George.
Peter Ash plays teacher Sebastian Blake
Yorkshire-born but Manchester-raised, Peter Ash portrays teacher Sebastian Blake in the latest series of The Teacher on Channel 5. And he’ll need no introduction to soap fans.
Peter, now 41, portrayed Paul Foreman in Coronation Street between 2018 and 2024. Apollo ‘Paul’ Foreman (previously Winter) was the husband of Billy Mayhew, son of Bernie Winter and twin brother of Gemma Winter-Brown. Tragically, the character was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. He appeared in more than 400 episodes, and fans were devastated when the popular character died in 2024.
The Teacher is Peter’s first TV role since the ITV soap. He also played Darius Fry in Footballers’ Wives from 2003 to 2006, and its spin-off Extra Time. The character was a young, naive Earls Park youth team prodigy, who was seduced by the team captain’s wife Tanya Turner.
Other notable roles include Colin in Blue Murder – his first ever TV role – Keith Jowell in Casualty, and Ron in Hollyoaks.
The Teacher series 3 cast: Navin Chowdry stars as Headmaster Simon Cookson
Bristol-born Navin Chowdry, 54, portrays headmaster Simon Cookson in the cast of The Teacher series 3. He’s another famous face from soaps, having played villain Nish Panesar in EastEnders between 2022 and 2025. A manipulative, controlling, and “ice-cold” figure, he was Suki Panesar’s estranged husband. He was eventually killed off on New Year’s Day 2025 after trying to kill Eve Unwin and Suki Panesar. His son, Ravi Gulati, pushed him over a hotel balcony after a violent struggle.
The very deceased character returned for two episodes in 2026 during terrifying hallucinations experienced by his son, Ravi Gulati.
Navin Chowdhry has been on our screens for nearly 40 years, having made his acting debut in the 1988 film Madame Sousatzka with Shirley MacLaine. He went on to play Police Cadet Sanjay Singh in Dalziel and Pascoe, before winning the role of Kurt McKenna in Channel 4 comedy Teachers. So he’s gone full circle now appearing in The Teacher.
Other big roles include Raph in NY-LON, Indra Ganesh in Doctor Who, Dr Naz Osbourne in The Golden Hour, Mani in Sinchronicity. He’s also appeared in Free Agents, Five Days, Mr Blue Sky, A Touch of Cloth, and Babylon.
In 2015, Navid portrayed Anwar in Doctor Foster series 1, before going on to play Kieran in the 2017 Vicky McClure series The Replacement. Since then, the actor has been extremely busy. Navid has had pivotal roles in The End of the F***ing World, Next of Kin, Our Girl, Out of Her Mind, Trying, and The Power of Parker.
Simon Cookson in The Teacher is Navid’s first role since leaving EastEnders.
Who else appears in the cast of series 3 of The Teacher?
Bradford-born Natalie Gavin, 37, stars as DS O’Brien. The flame-haired actress is famous for playing bent copper PS Tina Tranter in Line of Duty series 5. The character attempted to stab Gill Biggeloe to death, but the lawyer survived the attack. Natalie is also known for playing Lou in Prisoners Wives, Faith Portman in Casualty, Becky in Syndicate, Alma Capstick in Jericho, Nadine Murgatroyd in Ackley Bridge, and PO Jardine in Time. She’s also appeared in Gentleman Jack, Red Rose, Bodies, Passenger, and The Hack.
Malek Alkoni portrays Miles Crawford in the cast of The Teacher series 3. He portrayed Ziad in G’wed, and Faisal Ghazali in Vigil. He’s also appeared in Inside Man, Last King of the Cross, and The Crow Girl.
Olly Rhodes portrays Sam Simpson. Waterloo Road fans will know him as Billy Savage, a role he played between 2024 and 2025. Meanwhile, soapies will recognise him for playing Joseph Holmes in Hollyoaks from 2021 to 2022. Olly has also popped up in All Creatures Great & Small, and The Kingdom.
Full cast list for The Teacher series 3:
Victoria Hamilton stars as Helen Simpson.
Steve Edge plays Terry Simpson.
Rochenda Sandall portrays Tessa Stewart.
Alice Grant is Cressida Bancroft.
Peter Ash plays Sebastian Blake.
Navin Chowdry stars as Simon Cookson.
Natalie Gavin stars as DS O’Brien.
Newcomer Ellis Jupiter is Dee Rainford.
Showtrial’s Shak Benjamin plays Leo Dalton.
Malek Alkoni portrays Miles Crawford.
Olly Rhodes portrays Sam Simpson.
