Jon Richardson is all set to make his teacher debut after the BBC confirmed the return date for Waterloo Road. 

The actor and comedian, 42, will be starring in series 16 of the BBC One drama and, all suited and booted, he looks just the part.

Jon’s character is said to have “tons of charm”, although it’s no surprise to hear his arrival is going to stir things up at Waterloo Road.

The new series will also be bringing yet another “tragedy” to the grounds of Waterloo Road. Has that school not been through enough already?! Here’s everything we know about Jon’s character, the series 16 storylines and Waterloo Road’s start date.

Jon Richardson: Waterloo Road

Jon Richardson confirmed in April that he was joining Waterloo Road. In fact, he tricked all his fans into thinking he was retraining to become an actual teacher!

On April Fool’s Day, Jon told his Instagram followers that he was turning his back on comedy for a new career in education. The following day, the BBC confirmed the truth.

A post on BBC’s socials read: “Dear parents/guardians, You may have heard Jon Richardson is going through a huge career change…We’re pleased to share with you the newest addition to the #WaterlooRoad teaching staff. He’ll be joining us next term.”

Who does Jon Richardson play in Waterloo Road

Jon will be making his Waterloo Road debut as a teacher called Mr Darius Donovan. Mr Donovan is a Media Studies teacher who ‘likes to put on a show’. *Collective groan!*

Jon’s character has a stack of charisma, meaning he will be raising more than just one set of eyebrows. But would you expect anything else from Waterloo Road? Nope!

Who else is new?

Jon isn’t the only newbie starting at the school. Series 16 of Waterloo Road will also see the introduction of two new pupils; Ben and Hope Drake and their mother Sam Drake.

Ben is played in the BBC drama by Phoenix Rise actor Fintan Buckard, while Savannah Kunyo portrays Hope. Coronation Street fans will recognise Savannah. She played Eliza Woodrow in the ITV soap from 2022 to 2024.

Actress Christine Bottomley takes on the role of Sam. Christine has appeared in EastEnders, Hope Springs and Land Girls. Last year, she starred as Rachel Crossley in the second series of BBC’s Sherwood.

Ben and Hope are the grandchildren of Waterloo Road’s latest headteacher, Dame Stella Drake. Stella arrived on the scene in series 15 and is played by Lindsey Coulson.

New teacher and a familiar face

There is also another new teacher joining the staff at Waterloo Road. Riot Women actor Christopher Jeffers will be playing Mitch Swift. Mr Swift is the new SENCO lead (Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator).

Waterloo Road OGs will be thrilled to hear that Jack Rimmer will also be back in the school corridors. Jason Merells is once again reprising his role of Mr Rimmer, Waterloo Road’s first headteacher. It’s a new job for Jack, however. Mr Rimmer has been employed as the new school counsellor.

‘Tragedy on the horizon’

The new series of Waterloo Road will once again be packed with highs and lows among the lives of the teachers and staff.

Headteacher Stella is back at the helm and is forced to face a new set of challenges when her family turn up (Ben, Hope and Sam). The trio’s arrival will have such a big impact that it will alter how she manages her relationships with both students and her fellow teachers.

The BBC has also warned of another “tragedy” hitting Waterloo Road. A statement about series 16 says: “With another tragedy on the horizon, the choices of some of Waterloo Road’s own will have some life-changing consequences.” Eek!

Waterloo Road series 16 will also cover topics including the cost of living crisis, addiction and mental health. Exam anxiety, allergies and grief will also feature in the storylines.

Who else is in the new series of Waterloo Road?

Waterloo Road viewers will be happy to see many familiar faces returning to the show. Among the parents and teachers, Adam Thomas will be back as Donte Charles, Hollie-Jay Bowes returns as Debs Rafferty and James Baxter will play Joe Casey.

Jo Coffey is returning as Wendy Whitwell, Kym Marsh is back as Nicky Walters, while Neil Fitzmaurice is playing Neil Guthrie. Rachel Leskovac (Coral Walker), Ryan Clayton (Mike Rutherford) and Shauna Shim (Valerie Chambers) will also be in series 16.

When it comes to the Waterloo Road students, many of the faves are also back in class. Aabay Noor Ali will return as Mollie ‘Mog’ Richardson, Chiamaka (ChiChi) Ulebor plays Shola Aku, Danny Murphy portrays Luca Smith and Hattie Dynevor is back as Libby Guthrie. Scarlett Thomas is returning as Izzy Charles.

Liam Scholes will again play Noel McManus, Maisey Robinson is back in Waterloo Road as Portia Weever and Miya Ocego will star as Lois Taylor-Brown. Others include Sonya Nisa (Aleena Qureshi), Summer Violet Bird (Tonya Walters), Thapelo Ray (Dwayne Jackson), Tillie Amartey (Stacey ‘Stace’ Neville), and Zak Sutcliffe (‘Schuey’ Weever).

Waterloo Road: A special episode

The new series of Waterloo Road will also feature a special on-location episode, which has been directed by former Waterloo Road star (and legend!), Angela Griffin.

The student-body will be heading to a local housing estate for a big clean-up and some old faces will be returning to take part. The BBC are keeping tight-lipped about who will be back, but what we do know is that the clean-up doesn’t go according to plan…

When does the new series of Waterloo Road start?

The BBC has now confirmed the start date for the new series of Waterloo Road. The drama will return to screens for series 16 on Tuesday September 23, 2025. The show will air a double bill each Tuesday thereafter, with the first episode at 9pm and the second at 10.40pm.

The entire series will also drop onto BBC iPlayer at 6am on Tuesday September 23.

Read more: Blue Lights series 3: Plot, start date, episodes, and location as Cathy Tyson and Michael Smiley join line-up

Waterloo Road returns to BBC One at 9pm and BBC iPlayer at 6am on Tuesday September 23, 2025.