*This article contains spoilers for the new series of Waterloo Road*
Waterloo Road season 11 finally hit our screens on January 3, though it's safe to say that plenty of fans weren't happy with what happened to one of the returning stars.
Along with Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin), Chlo Charles (Katie Griffiths) and Donte Charles (Emmerdale's Adam Thomas) returned to the rebooted show. Now all grown up, the pair had two kids, Izzy and Tommy, and were preparing to ship their daughter off to secondary school.
However, tragedy struck the school on the very first day. The students had organised a protest at William Beswick School (which is soon rebranded as the new Waterloo Road), which soon descended into uncontrolled chaos. Chlo had gone to the school to pitch a new therapy animal initiative to Headteacher Kim Campbell, but she was knocked over by a car in the chaos.
Chlo received some first aid for a bruised wrist at the school but refused to be taken to hospital for a check-up. Initially, she seemed fine...until she collapsed in her home just after dinner and Donte begged his daughter to call an ambulance. He rushed to the hospital with Izzy and Tommy in tow only to find out that Chlo had passed away, leaving him to look after their two children on his own.
It's clear that Chlo's early death was a huge shock to the viewers at home, as lots of Waterloo Road fans were devastated that Chlo was killed off so soon into the rebooted show.
One viewer wrote: "Waited nearly 8 years for waterloo road to reboot just to have chlo killed off in the first episode, livid"
waited nearly 8 years for waterloo road to reboot just to have chlo killed off in the first episode, livid😡January 3, 2023
Another wrote: "you're telling me i've waited YEARS for waterloo road to come back just for them to kill chlo in the first episode".
you're telling me i've waited YEARS for waterloo road to come back just for them to kill chlo in the first episodeJanuary 3, 2023
A third added: "Such a gd first ep to start the new Waterloo road on shame they killed Chlo off though", and there were plenty more fans who felt similar emotions about her brief return.
Such a gd first ep to start the new Waterloo road on shame they killed Chlo off though :( :) xJanuary 3, 2023
Me to the Waterloo Road producers after killing off Chlo in episode one of the new series: pic.twitter.com/7sBYbVKU5JJanuary 3, 2023
Waited years for Waterloo Road to come back, and they've killed Chlo off in the first episode 💔January 3, 2023
Been really looking forward to the new series of Waterloo Road only to see them kill off Chlo in the first episode. That's not okJanuary 3, 2023
When we spoke to Katie Griffiths about her Waterloo Road departure, she said: "I had no idea about how popular the original series was on BBC iPlayer and how it had acquired this new, amazing young audience there. So it was a shock [to discover Chlo would be killed off] but I thought it was a really lovely thing to be able to come back, even just for a short time... and go out with a bang. Quite a big bang!"
Waterloo Road season 11 airs Tuesdays at 8 pm, and the full series is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
