The young actors who will play the pupils on the highly anticipated BBC One school drama Waterloo Road were revealed by Adam Thomas (who will play fan- favourite Donte Charles) on BBC’s Morning Live programme. An image of the cast together on set during rehearsals has also been released. Waterloo Road begins filming today in Greater Manchester and is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.

Actors playing pupil characters have been announced as Adam Abbou (Time), joining the cast as Danny Lewis, Priyasasha Kumari (You Don’t Know Me) playing Samia Choudhry’ with Noah Valentine (The Bay) joining as Preston Walters. Adam Ali (Little America) has been cast as Kai Sharif while Alicia Forde joins as Kelly-Jo Rafferty, Francesco Piacentini-Smith (Masters Of The Air) cast as Dean Weever, Liam Scholes (Coronation Street) as Noel McManus and Lucy Eleanor Begg as Caz Williams.

Following in the family footsteps, Scarlett Thomas - Adam’s niece and daughter of former Waterloo Road star Tina O’Brien - has been announced as Izzy Charles, playing daughter to characters Donte and Chlo Charles. Fellow junior student cast includes Summer Violet Bird playing Tonya Walters, Ava Flannery as Verity King, Thapelo Ray (Doctors) cast as Dwanye Jackson, Inathi Rozani (Biff and Chip) joining as Zayne Jackson, Chiamaka (ChiChi) Ulebor playing Shola Aku with Sahil Ismailkhil as Norrulah Ashimi - who was talent scouted following a production research trip to a local Leeds school.

The news follows production’s recent casting announcements which included the likes of Kym Marsh and Rachel Leskovac joining the school’s staff and returning stars Angela Griffin (playing headteacher Kim Campbell) and Adam Thomas and Katie Griffiths as Donte and Chlo Charles, which was revealed last month.

Waterloo Road is a Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North co-production. The Executive Producer is Cameron Roach. Waterloo Road was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama and executive producers for the BBC are Gaynor Holmes and Jo McClellan.

Further details about storylines and transmission will be announced in due course.