Comedian Jon Richardson is set to join the cast of BBC One’s school drama Waterloo Road, taking on the role of a media studies teacher. The star of Meet the Richardsons and 8 out of 10 Cats will make his debut later this year.
Earlier this year, Richardson told his social media followers he was retiring from comedy to pursue a career in teaching. However, the BBC has now revealed there was more to the announcement, teasing that viewers will have to wait for the next series to discover what lies in store for his character at the fictional school.
Richardson commented: “I would say that joining Waterloo Road is a dream come true, but in truth most of my dreams about school revolve around not having done my homework or put on my uniform. I wanted to be a teacher growing up so hopefully this role will put all those ambitions to bed.”
Cameron Roach, executive producer and founder of co-producers Rope Ladder Fiction, said: “Waterloo Road always strives to strike the right balance between big emotion and comedy, and we feel we’ve struck gold in casting Jon Richardson. Not only does Jon have brilliant comic timing, his dramatic performance will surprise and delight his fans in equal measure. Next term promises laughter, tears, and a whole lot of mayhem.”
