BBC confirms Waterloo Road return date — and it's really soon!

Waterloo Road season 14
Waterloo Road is back with season 14. (Image credit: BBC)

It has been revealed today (Wednesday, August 28) that Waterloo Road will return to our screens with season 14 in just a few weeks. 

The announcement will be welcome news for fans of the hit school drama, who have been waiting patiently for the show to return after Waterloo Road season 13 aired earlier this year. 

Once again we will be getting eight, hour-long episodes of the show when it returns on Tuesday, September 10 at 9 pm on BBC One, with all episodes of the new series on BBC iPlayer from 6 am the same day. 

Season 14 will see the arrival of Jason Manford to the show as he becomes the new headteacher, Steve Savage, a charismatic charmer who impresses everyone he meets and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to achieve results. 

Angela Griffin, who played Kim Campbell, also returns to the show, but behind the camera, as she directs alongside other series directors John Maidens, Piotr Szkopiak and Robin Sheppard.

This new season of the show will be the fourth since Waterloo Road returned in 2023 - and with its new academy status, new school building, and the arrival of Steve Savage, Waterloo Road sees a changing of the guard. 

Battling some expected teething problems, the students and teachers attempt to find their feet and make big decisions that affect their future at the school. But when a chain of unfortunate circumstances - and one bad choice - turns lives into chaos, there are tragic repercussions for everyone.

Waterloo Road season 14

Jason Manford as new headteacher, Steve Savage. (Image credit: BBC)

Joining Jason Manford for the new series are Saira Choudhry (No Offence, Life) as Maths teacher Nisha Chandra - a lazy genius with a lot of charisma who isn’t beyond bending the rules to suit herself - and Olly Rhodes (The Last Kingdom) as Billy Savage, son to Steve Savage.

Along with familiar faces from the show including Adam Thomas (Donte Charles), and Kym Marsh (Nicky Walters), Nathan Wood will join the cast as Boz Osbourne, a street-smart loudmouth with a tumultuous past who forms a friendship with one of the school’s resident bad boys. 

Matthew Khan (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) will play the effortlessly charming Jared Jones, who is smart, charismatic, and a bit of a ladies' man. Meanwhile, Danny Murphy (The Parts You Lose) plays Luca Smith, a bright new pupil who is deaf.    

Waterloo Road season 14

Jason Manford joins Kym Marsh in Waterloo Road.  (Image credit: BBC)

Last week it was announced that the series has been recommissioned for two more series, meaning the BBC will air Waterloo Road until at least 2026 and bring the total number of new era episodes to 54.

Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.