Lindsey Coulson, known to millions of EastEnders fans as Carol Jackson, has been revealed as the new headteacher in Waterloo Road.
The 64-year-old star enjoyed various stints on the soap as long-suffering Carol, who was first seen in Walford in 1993. Now, following the downfall of previous headteacher Steve Savage, played by Jason Manford, Lindsay is joining Waterloo Road as Dame Stella Drake.
She will make her debut as Dame Stella in the new series when it returns to BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2025.
Lindsey says: "I'm delighted to be joining Waterloo Road as the new headteacher, Dame Stella Drake. It's a role I haven't played before so I'm really enjoying peeling back the layers of who Stella is and seeing how the teachers and students react to her no-nonsense approach. Waterloo Road tackles social issues head on which is so important to see on television and this series will be no different."
Downfall is putting it mildly for Steve Savage, who was outed along with his son Billy for murdering Boz Osbourne. Having your headteacher arrested for murder is obviously a bit of a downer for the school and it will be up to Dame Stella to try and shake off its reputation as the "murder school”.
Dame Stella promises to be a no-nonsense head who’s determined to get the school back on track. The BBC teases: "Stella joins the school as the students become increasingly unruly following the effects of last term and she soon feels out of date as she clashes with the school’s modern pastoral approach. Her unfiltered honesty is both endearing and abrasive. She tells it as it is and while her intent is to inspire positive change, her methods can sometimes ruffle feathers. Stella might have the students best interests at heart but soon her personal life spills over into the professional and fans will be left wondering what skeletons she could be hiding?"
Hopefully, she doesn't turn out to be a killer!
Cameron Roach, Executive Producer of Waterloo Road and Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction, says: “We're really thrilled that Lindsey Coulson is joining Waterloo Road, she has absolutely embraced the spirit and ethos of the show, and she completely inhabits the role of Dame Stella Drake, we can't wait for the audience to meet her. The fact that the show has attracted an actor of Lindsey's calibre is testament to the continued ambition and commitment from our writing and story teams, as well as our brilliant cast and crew.”
Outside of EastEnders, Lindsey has enjoyed roles in The Bay, Clocking Off and Doctor Who. Waterloo Road returns to BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2025.
