EastEnders legend Lindsey Coulson joins BBC Waterloo Road as new headteacher after Jason Manford exit

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Former EastEnders actress Lindsey Coulson is set to take the helm as the new headteacher Dame Stella Drake in the upcoming series of Waterloo Road.

She steps into the role following the character Steve Savage, portrayed by Jason Manford, who was seen being arrested by police at the end of the 14th series for his involvement in concealing Boz Osbourne's murder.At age 64, Coulson expressed her excitement: "I’m delighted to be joining Waterloo Road as the new headteacher, Dame Stella Drake. " She finds the character's discovery process enthralling and looks forward to exploring how Stella's straightforward manner will play out within the school environment. "It’s a role I haven’t played before so I’m really enjoying peeling back the layers of who Stella is and seeing how the teachers and students react to her no-nonsense approach."The actress emphasised the significance of the show's engagement with societal issues: "Waterloo Road tackles social issues head-on which is so important to see on television and this series will be no different." READ MORE: Meghan Markle and Harry's 'real reason' for buying new £6.5million Portugal home was revealed in Spare As per the show's creators, Dame Stella faces a challenging start at the school due to growing student indiscipline from last term, leading to tensions with the existing pastoral strategies.A preview of the series shows her addressing the faculty: "I know you’re probably still feeling battered and bruised following recent events, but we need to take a good honest look at what changes are needed to turn this school around."Waterloo Road, a drama centred around life at a state school in Greater Manchester, enjoyed an original run on the BBC from 2006 to 2015 and made its