Waterloo Road series 17 confirms 2026 air date as iconic character returns and Emmerdale stars join cast
Get ready for the new stars to 'cause a stir' in Waterloo Road series 17
Waterloo Road series 17 is officially less than one month away, as the BBC has confirmed its 2026 air date and some big additions to the cast.
If you look beyond the BBC’s Christmas TV schedule, 2026 holds plenty of amazing telly in store. Not only is The Night Manager series 2 premiering on New Year’s Day, but Waterloo Road is set to return in the first week of the year.
Series 16 left the school in a right mess, whether it was Joe, Mike, and Mitch’s relationship drama or the dramatic fallout of Hope’s death.
Will Darius get his comeuppance, will Jack return, and why is Miss Haydock back? Here’s what we know so far.
When is Waterloo Road series 17 out?
Waterloo Road series 17 will premiere on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 9pm on BBC One. There will be a double bill each week, with the second episode airing at 10:40pm.
This is the show’s normal release schedule. In its original airing, a season would be split into its “autumn term” and “winter term”, often starting around September and returning in January for its final stretch of episodes.
The revival changed things up slightly. Rather than one big season split into two batches, each 7/8-episode stretch constitutes its own series.
So, now we get two series a year: one that begins in January, and another that airs in September.
Unfortunately, that means there’ll be a seven-month wait for series 18 (but we have a while before we need to worry about that).
Is series 17 dropping all at once?
Yes, you’ll be able to watch the entirety of Waterloo Road series 17 on iPlayer.
All eight episodes will be added to the streaming platform at 6am on January 6, so if you can’t wait for it to air weekly on TV, you can binge the whole thing.
Denise Welch returns to Waterloo Road
That’s right: as revealed in the last finale’s post-credits preview, Denise Welch is back as Steph Haydock, the school’s former head of French, in Waterloo Road series 17.
Welch’s character was part of the show’s original ensemble, involved in some of its best storylines; notably, her relationship with Jack Rimmer and fostering Maxine Barlow.
She was nearly sacked a few times in the earlier seasons, but she left on her own accord at the end of series 5, returning for a guest appearance in series 6 as part of Grantly and Fleur’s Alzheimer’s plot line.
Will we see her reunite with Jack? That remains to be seen, but we know she’ll be working as a supply teacher in series 17.
“I’m thrilled to see the return of Steph to Waterloo Road,” Welch said in a statement.
“Fifteen years older, but certainly not wiser. She’ll soon show that time has certainly not dulled her shine!
“Still unmarried but eternally hopeful, Steph is back as a supply teacher. What she is supplying remains to be seen, but I am having a great time stepping back into the shoes of a character I love.”
Welch also teased working with Jason Merrells, who plays Jack. “Steph and Jack go back a long way, but will they move forward? You’ll have to wait and see,” she said.
Emmerdale star will ’cause big stir’
Karl Davies, best known for his role as Robert Sugden in Emmerdale, has joined the cast of Waterloo Road series 17.
He’ll play Anthony Walters – and that surname should be familiar to you, as he’s the ex-husband of Nicky (Kym Marsh).
“Anthony arrives as the coach of the girl’s football team that some of Waterloo Road’s very own get involved with, thriving at the sport,” according to the BBC.
“His arrival causes a big stir with Tonya and Nicky, who has taken on a new role at the school.”
Six new actors have also joined the series 17 cast:
- Freddy Smith (Happy Valley series 3) as Freddie Hollister
- Olivia Booth-Ford (The Enfield Poltergeist) as Leoni Tennant
- Myra-Sofia Iftikhar (Happy Valley series 3) as Aisha Azzi
- Sana Ali (Moumita) as Badr Azzi
- Isha Kaur (The Runaways) as Harleen Lamba
Waterloo Road series 17: Full cast
There’s also everyone else you’d expect to see in series 17. That includes all of the teaching staff and parents:
- Adam Thomas as Donte Charles
- Christopher Jeffers as Mitch Swift
- James Baxter as Joe Casey
- Hollie-Jay Bowes as Debs Rafferty
- Jon Richardson as Darius Donovan
- Jo Coffey as Wendy Whitwell
- Kym Marsh as Nicky Walters
- Lindsey Coulson as Dame Stella Drake
- Neil Fitzmaurice as Neil Guthrie
- Rachel Leskovac as Coral Walker
- Shauna Shim as Valerie Chambers
- Saira Jackson as Nisha Chandra
And, excitingly, Jason Merrells is confirmed to return as Jack Rimmer after his exit from the school in series 16.
As for the returning student cast, series 17 will also star:
- Aabay Noor Ali as Mollie “Mog” Richardson
- Cory McClane as Ashton Stone
- Chiamaka “ChiChi” Ulebor as Shola Aku
- Danny Murphy as Luca Smith
- Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie
- Liam Scholes as Noel McManus
- Lucy Chambers as Cat Guthrie
- Maisey Robinson as Portia Weever
- Miya Ocego as Lois Taylor-Brown
- Niamh Blackshaw as Agnes Eccleston
- Scarlett Thomas as Izzy Charles
- Sonya Nisa as Aleena Qureshi
- Summer Violet Bird as Tonya Walters
- Tillie Amartey as Stacey “Stace” Neville
- Zak Sutcliffe as “Schuey” Weever
What to expect in Waterloo Road series 17: How did series 16 end?
Series 17 will pick up with Darius as Waterloo Road’s new deputy head, “but how far will he go to keep that power?”
Remember, he was the one responsible for the death of Hope, Stella’s granddaughter, after he misplaced cupcakes that caused her to have a fatal allergic reaction.
Not only did he get away with it, but he managed to get rid of the one person who knew the truth: Jack Rimmer. He baited Jack into punching him at a school event and then made Stella aware that he had alcohol in his system.
Steph Haydock was never one to suffer fools gladly, and given what he did to Jack, one would hope she smells something off with Darius.
With Steph back, it begs the question: will Kim and Andrew return for a super-reunion of sorts, and could we see any other familiar faces?
There are other things to sort out in series 17, like Joe breaking up with Mike after his affair with Mitch, the school’s new SENCO. Will he come to his senses, or will he find his happily ever after with Mitch?
Let’s hope it’s the former. However, curiously, Ryan Clayton (who plays Mike) hasn’t been listed as part of series 17’s cast.
By the end of series 16, Schuey and Agnes had reconciled, so we’ll likely see their relationship progress in the upcoming episodes.
Read more: Top-tier dramas returning in 2026: From Doctor Foster to Sherwood and The Night Manager
