Waterloo Road

Jason Merrells (Actor) .. Jack Rimmer

Born: November 02, 1968 in London

Best Known For: Cutting It and Emmerdale.

Early-life: Born on November 2, 1968, in Wanstead, Essex. Jason developed a passion for art, writing and acting from an early age. However, his brother Simon had dropped out of the acting profession, so when arts graduate Jason later expressed an interest in the same career, his parents were worried he was making the wrong move, but eventually backed him. His dad designed the posters for a one-man show, and his mum used to pretend to be his agent to get him bookings. Merrells also cut hair as a student, little knowing it would come in handy for a later role.

Career: Became a familiar face in 1994 as Matt Hawley in Casualty, but quit after three years in the role. He went on to appear in episodes of Thief Takers, The Bill, Fat Friends, Queer as Folk and Clocking Off. However, it was as Gavin Ferraday in BBC One drama Cutting It that he sent pulses racing. His student days snipping hair were boosted by five days' intensive training. He had the lead role in short-lived medical drama Sweet Medicine, before making appearances in Where the Heart Is and Murder City. Between 2006 and 2008 he played headmaster Jack Rimmer in Waterloo Road. In 2010, he made his debut in Emmerdale, playing Declan Macey.

Quote: 'Love scenes are quite a difficult technical exercise, but they're also slightly hysterical.'

Trivia: He has directed episodes of River City for BBC Scotland.

Jill Halfpenny (Actor) .. Izzie Redpath

Born: July 15, 1975 in Gateshead

Best Known For: Playing Kate in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born July 15, 1975, in Gateshead. She doesn't come from a theatrical background - her dad was a builder and her mum a classroom assistant - and says she has no idea where her love of acting came from. But she's been doing it from an early age; she attended classes at First Act Theatre in Gosforth and began appearing in Byker Grove, alongside Ant and Dec, at the age of 13.

Career: After quitting Byker Grove in 1992, Halfpenny took a break from TV for five years, eventually returning with a role in The Bill. Small parts in Birds of a Feather, Heartbeat and Peak Practice followed before she began playing Rebecca in Coronation Street in 1999. A year later, the character left Weatherfield having broken up Martin Platt's marriage to Gail. In 2002 she began a three-year stint as Kate, who married Phil Mitchell, in EastEnders. Since then Halfpenny has popped up in Inspector George Gently, Waterloo Road, Wild at Heart and Mount Pleasant. She was also Strictly Come Dancing champion in 2004 and has appeared in several acclaimed stage productions, including Calendar Girls and Legally Blonde.

Quote: 'Actors are always frustrated by the lack of versatility of the casting people who see you for roles. They do pigeonhole you.'

Trivia: Her neice, Chelsea, is also an actress and had a three-year stint in Emmerdale.

Angela Griffin (Actor) .. Kim Campbell

Born: July 19, 1976 in Leeds

Best Known For: Coronation Street and Cutting It.

Early-life: Angela Mellissa Griffin was born in Leeds on July 19, 1976. She was brought up by her mum and stepfather on a council estate after her bus conductor father left home when the actress was four. She has two brothers. Angela began acting in youth groups while in her teens, where she was spotted by a talent scout. She had early roles in children's series Under the Bedclothes and Just Us. She was academic at school and had been expected to continue with her education, but after gaining nine GCSEs, decided to concentrate on acting.

Career: Following a brief appearance in Emmerdale as a holiday village guest, Griffin landed the role of hairdresser Fiona Middleton in Coronation Street in 1992. She stayed with the soap for six years. She went on to join the cast of Holby City, which she quit after three years. Other acclaimed roles have come in BBC drama Babyfather, Cutting It and Down to Earth. She has also made a guest appearance in gritty crime drama Waking The Dead and presented The Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards. Other work includes two stints in Waterloo Road, her own chat show and Sky's Mount Pleasant. She joined the cast of Lewis in 2014. She has also set up her own production company.

Quote: 'I have still got so much to learn. I want to do new plays, where I get to cry a lot or shout a lot or be insane.'

Trivia: Griffin voices Amy the vet in children's TV show Postman Pat.

Jason Done (Actor) .. Tom Clarkson

Jamie Glover (Actor) .. Andrew Treneman

Camilla Power (Actor) .. Lorna Dickey

Denise Welch (Actor) .. Steph Haydock

Born: May 22, 1958 in Ebchester, Co Durham

Best Known For: Being a former Loose Woman.

Early-life: Born Jacqueline Denise Welch on May 22, 1958, in Ebchester, Co Durham. Her father ran the now defunct Welch's Toffee Company and also performed as a drag act, and her mother was a nurse. Denise enjoyed acting in school productions, but was all set to go to teacher training college until her father and drama teacher convinced her to apply to the Mountview Theatre School instead. She studied there for three years, and began winning stage roles shortly after graduation.

Career: Denise starred in a variety of hit TV dramas including Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Byker Grove, Soldier Soldier and Spender before landing the part of Natalie in Coronation Street in 1997. She stayed on the soap opera for four years but left when she discovered she was pregnant with her second child. She was asked to present This Morning following the departure of Richard and Judy, but turned the offer down. She went on to make appearances in TV shows The Vice, Born and Bred, and Down to Earth, before joining the cast of Waterloo Road. The actress has also hit the charts with the singles You Don't Have to Say You Love Me and Cry Me A River. She was a panellist on Loose Women between 2002 and 2013. In August 2013, she was a contestant on ITV's dancing reality series Stepping Out.

Quote: 'I do know that I feel a better wife and better mum the way I lead my life now. That's the wonderful thing - I have two fantastic kids and we're doing really well.'

Trivia: Her autobiography, Pulling Myself Together, was published in 2010.

Philip Martin Brown (Actor) .. Grantly Budgen

Born: July 09, 1956 in Manchester

Best Known For: Playing Grantly in Waterloo Road.

Early-life: Brown was born in Manchester and attended Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School for Boys; his favourite subject being English. After completing his fifth year, though, he was asked to leave the school, being told he was a 'dreadful troublemaker'.

Career: Brown's acting career spans five decades; his first stint on TV was playing Sam Potter in A Horseman Riding By. He's since gone on to regularly crop up in other British dramas including Midsomer Murders, Casualty, New Tricks, Doctors, Waterloo Road and Death Comes to Pemberley.

Quote: 'I work as a supply teacher at my local comprehensive. I have a different teaching style to Grantly - I hope I'm more accessible!'

Trivia: He is a regular performer on the panto circuit.

Lauren Drummond (Actor) .. Mika Grainger

Katie Griffiths (Actor) .. Chlo Grainger

David Crellin (Actor) .. Jimmy Grainger

Adam Thomas (Actor) .. Donte Charles

Born: August 11, 1988 in Manchester

Best Known For: Playing Adam Barton in Emmerdale.

Early-life: Adam Gordon Thomas was born in Manchester on August 11, 1988. He has a non-identical twin, Scott, and he is the younger brother of Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas. Adam's acting career began at the age of 15 in 2002 with a guest part on BBC daytime soap Doctors.

Career: Thomas's big break came in 2006 when he landed the role of Donte Charles in BBC drama Waterloo Road. He left the school drama in 2009 and in the same year, he was cast in the role of Adam Barton in Emmerdale. Thomas was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in November and December 2016 and achieved third place.

Quote: 'I keep promising to hit the gym, because all the other lads (in soaps) always get voted for in the Sexiest Male awards - and I don't get a look-in!'

Trivia: Thomas has appeared on All Star Family Fortunes with his brother Ryan.

Steve Money (Actor) .. Clarence Charles

Judith Barker (Actor) .. Estelle Cooper

Jeff Merchant (Actor) .. Brian Vaisey

Seamus O'Neill (Actor) .. Sgt Hendy

Joel Cheetham (Actor) .. Stephen

Robin Simpson (Actor) .. Mr Seymour

Laura Richmond (Actor) .. Mrs Seymour

Linda Jane Holmes (Actor) .. Bus driver

Daisy Wignall (Actor) .. Holly Tattersall

Stephanie Laguna Walker (Actor) .. Stacey Walsh

Declan Wilson (Actor) .. Desk sergeant

Jon Ball (Actor) .. Adam

Claire Phillips (Producer)

Barnaby Southcombe (Director)

Maureen Chadwick (Writer)

Ann McManus (Writer)

7:05 pm - 8:00 pm, Monday, March 9 on BBC Three (23)

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Season 1, Episode 1

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