Denise Welch 'returning to Waterloo Road'

Denise Welch is reportedly returning to 'Waterloo Road'.

The 66-year-old actress played hapless French teacher Steph Haydock on the BBC One school drama series from its inception in 2006 and was last seen on the programme during series six in 2010 but now insiders have claimed that bringing her back is a "no-brainer" for bosses.

A BBC source told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "'Waterloo Road' fans love a comeback, particularly when it is someone of Denise’s calibre.

“The character is certainly one which will live long in the memory of devotees, and it’s an absolute no-brainer to have her return."

During her time on the show, Steph faced criticism for her lax approach to teaching lessons and when she briefly lost her job, she threatened to tell all about her brief fling with headmaster Jack Rimmer (Jason Merrells).

After being reinstated, Steph found a foster daughter in drug addict Maxine Barlow (Ellie Paskell) but the sixth former was shot dead a couple of years later after getting involved with Earl Kelly (Reece Noi).

During her final series, Steph started up a romance with Oliver Mead (John McArdle) after the two were almost in a car crash together, and she returned for a guest appearance the following year when she came to help former colleague Grantly Budgen (Philip Martin Brown) deal with his wife's dementia diagnosis.

Prior to her role in 'Waterloo Road', Denise found fame as Natalie Horrocks on 'Coronation Street' and has also appeared on 'Byker Grove', 'Benidorm' and 'Hollyoaks' during her lengthy career.

She is also known to TV audiences as a long-running panellist on 'Loose Women', having first appeared on the ITV1 chat show in 2005.

The BBC One drama initially ran from 2006 until 2015, and was revived in 2023.

News of her supposed return to 'Waterloo Road' comes just days after Chelsee Healey - who played loudmouth student Janeece Bryant - claimed she would also love to go back.

After her character left school, Chelsee returned for another stint from 2010 until 2012 where her character filled the role of the school secretary.

Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, Chelsee said: "I mean, if that opportunity there was to ever arise again, I'd be so grateful to go back at some point. But yeah, I think that'd be fantastic."