Channel 4 comedy-drama Ackley Bridge is returning after a two-year hiatus, with the fourth season of this school-based series completely reinventing its format.

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Instead of hour-long episodes, series four will consist of 10 30-minute episodes, airing daily from next week onwards.

While a number of fan favourites are returning to teach at the fictional West Yorkshire academy, the show is introducing a line-up of new students who are set to spice things up at the drama-prone school.

Here's everything you need to know about the cast of Ackley Bridge series four.

Sunetra Sarker plays Kaneez Paracha

Kaneez
Channel 4

Who is Kaneez Paracha? Kaneez is a student support officer at Ackley Bridge and the mother of former student Nasreen and current students Razia and Saleem.

Where have I seen Sunetra Sarker before? Sunetra Sarker has starred in Brookside, No Angels, Casualty, Informer and more recently, The Bay. She took part in the 12th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2017.

Charlie Hardwick plays Sue Carp

Sue Carp
Channel 4

Who is Sue Carp? Sue is the apathetic Director of Behaviour at Ackley Bridge, who joined the school's staff in series three. She was transferred from the Valley Trust as an alternative to being fired and is counting down the days until her retirement.

Where have I seen Charlie Hardwick before? Hardwick is best known for playing Val Pollard in ITV's Emmerdale.

Hareet Deol plays Hassan Hussein

Ackley Bridge
Channel 4

Who is Hassan Hussein? Hassan is a PE teacher at Ackley Bridge College, who prefers to act like a friend to students rather than an authority figure.

Where have I seen Hareet Deol before? Hareet is best known for his role on Ackley Bridge but has also appeared on Casualty.

Megan Parkinson plays Sam

Megan Parkinson plays Sam in Ackley Bridge

Who is Sam? Sam Murgatroyd is a student at Ackley Bridge College and the cousin of Candice. She previously was in a relationship with Nasreen Paracha and was living in a youth centre after reporting her mother to the police for burgling Martin Evershed's house.

Where have I seen Megan Parkinson before? Parkinson has appeared in Game of Thrones, Harlots, Strike and Damilola, Our Loved Boy.

Fern Deacon plays Chloe

Chloe Ackley Bridge
Channel 4

Who is Chloe? Chloe Voyle is a student at Ackley Bridge and the daughter of the school's former English teacher Emma Keane. She has a trained relationship with her mother, having left her father's care in series one and moved in with Emma.

Where have I seen Fern Deacon before? Deacon starred in CBBC's Hetty Feather, 2015 film Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism and has appeared in Call the Midwife, Uncle, Strike and Black Beauty.

Carla Woodcock plays Marina

Marina Ackley Bridge
Channel 4

Who is Marina? Marina is a new student at Ackley Bridge College and the mean sister of Kayla.

Where have I seen Carla Woodcock before? Woodcock has appeared in Netflix's Free Rein, Emmerdale and Pandora.

Connor McIntyre plays Grandad Cooper

Granddad Cooper
Channel 4

Who is Grandad Cooper? He is Johnny's grandad.

Where have I seen Connor McIntyre before? McIntyre is best known for playing Pat Phelan on Coronation Street, and has appeared in Drop Dead Gorgeous, Great Night Out, Doctors and Vincent.

Shobhit Piasa plays Tahir

Tahir
Channel 4

Who is Tahir? Tahir is the smooth talking nephew of Kaneez.

Where have I seen Shobit Piasa before? Piasa is best known for his role in Ackley Bridge.

Phoebe Tuffs-Berry plays Rukhi

Rukhi
Channel 4

Who is Rukhi? Rukhsana Ibrahim transferred from the Valley Trust to Ackley Bridge in series three with her cousin Pawel Nowicki. She cares for her mother and youngest sibling and plays rugby.

Where have I seen Phoebe Tuffs-Berry before? Tuffs-Berry is best known for her role in Ackley Bridge and for appearing in British film Treacle Jr.

Zara Salim plays Spud

Spud
Channel 4

Who is Spud? Kacey 'Spud' Gartside is a student at Ackley Bridge College who is best friends with Rukhi and found out in series three that school sponsor Sadiq Nawaz is her father, making Alya her half-sister.

Where have I seen Zara Salim before? Salim is best known for her role in Ackley Bridge.

Cody Ryan plays Hayley

Haley
Channel 4

Who is Haley? Haley Booth is a student at Ackley Bridge who is now in the care of her estranged mother Simone after the death of her sister Missy.

Where have I seen Cody Ryan before? Aside from Ackley Bridge, Ryan has appeared in Casualty and mini-series The Moorside.

Nazmeen Kauser plays Razia

Razia
Channel 4

Who is Razia? Razia Paracha is the daughter of school support officer Kaneez Paracha and the sister of Nareen and Saleem. She suffers with dyspraxia and is best friends with Hayley Booth.

Where have I seen Nazmeen Kauser before? Kauser is best known for her role in Ackley Bridge.

Robyn Cara plays Kayla

Kayla
Channel 4

Who is Kayla? Kayla is new to viewers but she's an existing pupil at Ackley Bridge, who is best friends with Fizza and develops a crush on new student Johnny.

Where have I seen Robyn Cara before? Cara has appeared in Hounslow Diaries, We Die Young, Life and Trying.

Yasmin Al Khudhairi plays Fizza

Fizza
Channel 4

Who is Fizza? Fizza, a student at Ackley Bridge, is introduced in series four as the best friend of Kayla, with whom she fights over new student Johnny.

Where have I seen Yasmin Al-Khudhairi before? Al-Khudhairi has appeared in Killing Eve, 2019 film Hilda and TV movie Adam.

Ryan Dean plays Johnny

Johnny
Channel 4

Who is Johnny? Johnny is a new student at Ackley Bridge College whose cocky attitude makes him the school's latest heartthrob – although he remains deeply suspicious of his new surroundings.

Where have I seen Ryan Dean before? Ryan has appeared in Billy Elliot the Musical Live, Penny on M.A.R.S. and The Gentlemen.

Robert James Collier plays Martin Evershed

ackley-bridge-cast

Who is Martin? Martin Evershed is the deputy headteacher and English teacher at Ackley Bridge College, being transferred from the Valley Trust in series three. He became interim headteacher after Sian Oakes's suspension.

Where have I seen Rob James-Collier before? James-Collier is best known for playing Thomas Barrow in period drama Downton Abbey and Liam Connor in Coronation Street. He has also appeared in Vera, Urban Myths, Moving On, Death in Paradise and Fate: The Winx Saga.

Jo Joyner plays Mandy Carter

Ackley Bridge
Channel 4

Who is Mandy Carter? Mandy is the headmistress of Ackley Bridge College, who left to take maternity leave towards the end of series three. She returned early after discovering that her temporary replacement, Sian Oakes, was grooming student Cory Wilson.

Where have I seen Jo Joyner before? Joyner is best known for playing Tanya Branning in EastEnders and Luella Shakespeare in Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators. She starred in Ordinary Lies, The Interceptor, Marley's Ghosts and Mount Pleasant.

Tony Jayawardena plays Rashid Hyatt

Rashid
Channel 4

Who is Rashid Hyatt? Rashid is a science teacher at Ackley Bridge College. He is in a relationship with student support officer Kaneez Paracha.

Where have I seen Tony Jayawardena? Jayawardena has starred in stage productions of Bend It Like Beckham the Musical, the Tempest and Twelfth Night, while onscreen, he's appeared in A Street Cat Named Bob, Silent Witness, The Windsors, The Crown and The Tunnel.

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Ackley Bridge returns on Monday 19th April at 6pm on Channel 4. While you’re waiting, take a look at our other Drama coverage, or find out what else is on with our TV Guide.

Authors

Lauren Morris
Lauren MorrisEntertainment and Factual Writer
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