Has Jon Richardson left Waterloo Road? Every confirmed and rumoured exit after series 17
Prepare to say goodbye to 10 Waterloo Road cast members... if not more
Waterloo Road series 17 has ended. The question is, will Jon Richardson return as Darius, and who has actually left the show?
Richardson debuted as Darius in series 16, quickly becoming one of the show’s most loathsome villains.
By the end of Waterloo Road series 17, things look pretty grim for him. But what about everyone else? With a merger on the horizon (as well as series 18), big changes could be afoot for the BBC school drama. Janeece may even be coming back.
Thanks to social media, we know a few stars who won’t be coming back next time.
***Warning: spoilers for Waterloo Road ahead***
Everyone who has left Waterloo Road after series 17
Darius Donovan (Jon Richardson)
Richardson hasn’t confirmed whether or not he’ll return for Waterloo Road series 18. However, given the ending of series 17, this seems highly unlikely.
In the final episode, he was escorted off-campus by police and arrested after embezzling funds from the school and stealing money from Stella’s pension. He also covered up Hope’s death and framed another teacher for drug use.
Nisha is pregnant with his baby, so it’s possible he could cameo in a prison scene (like Billy Savage), but that remains to be seen.
Luca (Danny Murphy)
Luca won’t appear in the next series of Waterloo Road. Danny Murphy posted a photo on Instagram, captioned, “That’s a wrap for me.”
In another Instagram Story, he shared a clip of Luca and Freddie’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ dance and called it his “final ever scene”.
Freddie (Freddy Chippendale Smith)
For Freddy Chippendale Smith, it was a one-and-done series for Freddie. Just like Luca, he won’t return in series 18 because he’s finished secondary school.
Lois (Miya Ocego)
Prepare for us to say the same thing over and over again. Miya Ocego’s Lois arrived in Waterloo Road in series 14, but the star officially parted ways with the show in a TikTok.
“Byeeee from us,” she wrote in a post with her and Hattie Dynevor, which was also captioned: “POV: you just graduated at Waterloo Road.”
@miyaocego Byeeee from us xxx brand new @Waterloo Road on your telly boxes today appy new year <333 @Hattie Dynevor #waterlooroad #graduate ♬ I’ll Do It (Sped Up Remix) – Heidi Montag
Libby (Hattie Dynevor)
Libby has been one of the Waterloo Road revival’s most important characters. She caused chaos when she arrived at school, and she also had one of its darkest storylines with Jared.
Sadly, Hattie Dynevor’s character is among this series’ graduating students. Her sister Cat (Lucy Chambers) is still in the show, though, so maybe we’ll get a cameo down the line.
Aleena (Sonya Nisa)
Aleena, played by Sonya Nisa, was part of a friendship group with Lois and Libby. As you’d expect, this means she’s not coming back, either.
Debs (Hollie-Jay Bowes)
Holly-Jaw Bowes has played Debs since the first series of the revival. However, the actress has confirmed she won’t be returning for series 18.
Responding to a comment on TikTok asking if there’d be another series, she wrote: “No idea my darling. That was my last one.”
Nicky (Kym Marsh)
Kym Marsh was part of the revival’s first line-up, playing Nicky, Debs’ sister and mum to Tonya and Preston.
In series 17, she returned to school after Stella sent her away on a management course. Unfortunately, her life was upended by the sudden reappearance of her ex-husband Tony, who groomed another student.
In episode 6, she left Waterloo Road to work at another school. Tonya is expected to return in series 18, so we might see Marsh again, but it will probably just be a cameo.
Other rumoured departures after series 18
If Waterloo Road merges with another school in series 18, the cast could look rather different.
We might get new teachers, current staff could leave (probably without explanation), and there’ll be lots of new pupils.
However, there are still question marks hanging over the status of some students.
Schuey (Zak Sutcliffe)
Schuey stayed clear of any serious trouble in Waterloo Road series 17. He also took Portia, his younger sister, to prom in the final episode… which would indicate that he’s among the students leaving school.
The problem is, we literally don’t know for sure. Zak Sutcliffe hasn’t confirmed or denied anything on any of his social media pages, so keep your eyes peeled for any updates.
Agnes (Niamh Blackshaw)
Agnes’ future is unclear. She’s in the same school year as Schuey – so, if he’s gone, she won’t be coming back, either.
But, as fans have pointed out, there’s still more to explore with her character. Her niece, Leoni, was just introduced in series 17, and there were hints that she struggled with alcoholism (unless she just really wanted a bottle of vodka).
Stace (Tillie Amartey)
Stace married Noel in the final episode of Waterloo Road series 17. She was also friends with Lois, Aleena, and Libby, so in theory, she should have left school too.
However, if Noel is carried over with the school’s staff in the merger, Stace could still make an appearance from time to time.
Read more: I’m still annoyed by Waterloo Road’s biggest plot hole and it may never be answered
