As teacher Cesca discovers she’s carrying pupil Jonah’s baby, TV Times magazine talks to actress Karen David about Waterloo Road’s controversial storyline. So what happens this week? “There’s a big shock as Cesca discovers she’s expecting Jonah’s child. The pregnancy comes out of left field and she’s not prepared for it. She tells Jonah she can deal with it on her own because she doesn’t know if he can handle being a father.” How did you react when you first found out about the teacher/pupil love storyline? “I’ll never forget the moment the producer dropped the bombshell – my jaw was on the floor! I could feel my heart racing because I knew it was a gift of a storyline. Lucien and I gave each other a big hug and said, 'Let’s go for it!'" Do you think it is true to Cesca’s character? “Yes, she has probably dated quite a few men and they don’t have that X factor, so it really throws her when she sees that in a schoolboy. She knows what could happen, but this isn’t just a crush – she’d risk her whole career for him.” Did you do any research for the role? “I did. In most of the cases I read about, the couple ended up together and had kids. You can’t help who you fall in love with and I feel sorry for Cesca because she’s so passionate – the more she tries to block Jonah out, the more she warms to him.” What about all the attention the storyline has prompted? “I’m very flattered, but I was bullied in school because I had really bad acne and hid behind pink glasses, so I just see myself as Karen the geek.”
