The Teacher season 2 cast: Who stars in Channel 5 drama?
Kara Tointon leads the cast – but who appears alongside her?
Sheridan Smith makes way for Kara Tointon in season 2 of Channel 5 anthology series The Teacher.
In the latest instalment, the former EastEnders star plays Dani, an art teacher who has an affair with a colleague. But the fallout from their most recent rendezvous has consequences far more devastating than they could ever have anticipated.
“They are quite different, which is always a good thing,” said Tointon when comparing the two seasons.
“I read The Teacher and I suppose I was instantly quite shocked by the script. I’ve never played anyone so controversially naughty.
“We find Dani in the middle of a midlife crisis. She‘s been in her marriage since she was quite young, a relationship from her university days. The part was interesting for me because I’ve never really played a role where people might instantly take a disliking to my character. Not because of anything in her personality, she’s not evil, but you question her choices."
Will Mellor (Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Mr Bates vs the Post Office) also stars in the drama as Jimmy, the colleague with whom Dani has an affair.
Speaking about what it was like working with an intimacy coordinator for the first time in his career, Mellor said: "That was a new thing for me. I think it’s very important for younger actors and actresses who maybe aren’t aware of what you can and can’t ask for on set to have a middle person who can open up the conversation and lay the boundaries so that everyone is comfortable."
He continued: "With me and Kara for the boat shed scene, we had a chat. I said, 'I’m OK with everything. I’ve been there done that.' I had my first gay role on The Street where I was completely naked with Vincent Regan. All those years ago.
"That was quite scary, but it was an amazing moment. That was a breakthrough for me. The intimacy coordinator was lovely on this, and I understand why they are there. I think it’s a case of read the situation."
Emmett J Scanlan (Hollyoaks, Kin) also stars in The Teacher season 2, but who does he play? And who else is in the cast?
The Teacher season 2 cast
- Kara Tointon as Dani
- Will Mellor as Jimmy
- Emmett J Scanlan as Tim
- Joni Morris as Sienna
- Forrest Bothwell as Matt
- Cal O'Driscoll as Zac
- Ebby O'Toole-Acheampong as Chloe
- Lila Coleman as Bel
- Gwynne McElveen as DI Calgetti
- Niamh McCann as Nina
- John Nayagam as Mr Caulfield
For more information about the characters in The Teacher season 2 and where you’ve seen the cast before, read on.
Kara Tointon plays Dani
Who is Dani? An art teacher who is described as a "real mentor and inspiration to her students". Dani’s marriage lacks "intimacy and desire", which leads to an affair with a colleague and a steamy encounter on a school trip. But while she’s distracted, one of her students goes missing.
What else has Kara Tointon been in? You might know her from another Channel 5 thriller, Too Good to Be True. She’s also known for EastEnders, ITV period drama Mr Selfridge, and winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2010.
Will Mellor plays Jimmy
Who is Jimmy? An art teacher who has an affair with Dani, his colleague, and the wife of his best friend.
"Jimmy likes to be liked," said Mellor. "He’s a person who craves that. And he wants everybody to see things his way. A lot of people who are controlling and very good at controlling situations are often very likeable."
What else has Will Mellor been in? He's best known for roles in comedy Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, hugely impactful ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Channel 4 comedy-drama No Offence and Coronation Street.
Emmett J Scanlan plays Tim
Who is Tim? Dani’s husband. "He's in a terrible place," said Scanlan. "Estranged and distant from his wife, they haven’t touched each other in ages. He’s vulnerable. He’s lost. He’s hurting." They share a son together called Stan.
What else has Emmett J Scanlan been in? His CV includes Hollyoaks, ITV crime drama The Tower, Steven Knight's Peaky Blinders, crime series Gangs of London, and Irish gangster drama Kin.
Joni Morris plays Sienna
Who is Sienna? A "troubled but talented student". Dani "sees a lot of herself in Sienna".
What else has Joni Morris been in? You might known her from Apple sci-fi drama Foundation.
Forrest Bothwell plays Matt
Who is Matt? Jimmy’s son. “There is this worry that Matt might be going back to his mum, Jimmy’s ex-wife Becky,” said Mellor. Matt also discovers that his dad is having an affair with Dani.
Mellor also discussed his anxiety around filming one particular scene with Bothwell.
"It's a scene in the lounge where Matt breaks down and we find out that there was a knife involved in what happened on the school trip," he explained.
"I was so worried about that first scene we shot together a) because I had never met Forrest and b) because of where this would set in the piece. We had had no warm-up or relationship building. We were shooting where we were going to go before we had even got going. That is when you must trust your director."
What else has Forrest Bothwell been in? His CV includes CBBC series A Kind of Spark and BBC WWII drama World on Fire.
Cal O'Driscoll plays Zac
Who is Zac? One of Dani’s students. He goes missing on a school trip while she has her hands full with Jimmy.
What else has Cal O’Driscoll been in? He has appeared in Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla and Canadian sci-fi series Sanctuary.
Ebby O'Toole-Acheampong plays Chloe
Who is Chloe? Another student who is also on the school trip when Zac disappears.
What else has Ebby O'Toole-Acheampong been in? Her CV includes EastEnders spin-off Kat & Alfie: Redwater.
Additional cast includes:
- Lila Coleman (Normal People) plays Bel - another teacher at the school.
- Gwynne McElveen (This England) plays DI Calgetti.
- Niamh McCann (River City) plays Nina - Zac's mum.
- John Nayagam (Emmerdale) plays Mr Caulfield - the headmaster.
The Teacher season 1 cast
Sheridan Smith plays Jenna
Who is Jenna? Jenna is a high school English teacher who, despite her troubled personal life, is an excellent educator who gets the best out of her students and is held in high esteem by the headmaster. Her mum died 20 years ago, a tragedy that continues to weigh heavily on her, and she has a difficult relationship with her father. Jenna uses alcohol and sex in an attempt to suppress her low spirits.
Jenna's pupils aren't afraid to tease her about her regular trips to local club Lazarus, but she is more than capable of holding her own. Her life is turned on its head when a student alleges that the pair had sex following an encounter on one of her nights out.
Where have I seen Sheridan Smith before? You'll recognise Sheridan Smith from Four Lives, Cleaning Up, The Moorside, Cilla, Mrs Biggs, Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor Adventures, Gavin & Stacey, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and more.
Samuel Bottomley plays Kyle
Who is Kyle? Kyle is a quietly confident 15-year-old student who alleges that Jenna had sex with him. He comes from a low-income background and is part of the school's scholarship programme. He is teased by classmate Izzy for being from "the wrong side of the tracks".
Where have I seen Samuel Bottomley before? Samuel Bottomley has appeared in BBC comedy Ladhood, dark comedy film Get Duked!, Channel 4 comedy-drama Ackley Bridge and ITV period drama Jericho.
Cecilia Noble plays Pauline
Who is Pauline? Pauline is one of Jenna's colleagues and her closest ally at work. She is a kind and generous person who always tries to see the good in people, and she always defends Jenna when others are quick to criticise and judge.
Where have I seen Cecilia Noble before? Cecilia Noble has appeared in Silent Witness, Steve McQueen's Small Axe, BBC drama Undercover, The Bill and more.
Kelvin Fletcher plays Jack
Who is Jack? Jack also teaches at the same school as Jenna. He is married but enjoys flirting with her, which raises a few eyebrows, and there are a couple of occasions when the pair come close to taking their playful relationship to the next level.
Where have I seen Kelvin Fletcher before? Kelvin Fletcher played Andy Sugden on Emmerdale from 1996 - 2016. He won the 2019 season of Strictly Come Dancing with Motsi Mabuse and appeared in an episode of Death in Paradise last year.
Sharon Rooney plays Nina
Who is Nina? Nina is another of Jenna's colleagues. She disapproves of her lifestyle and approach to teaching, which she makes clear at every given opportunity. She is desperate to snap up the Head of English role, but the headmaster thinks Jenna would be a better fit, which fuels her dislike further.
Where have I seen Sharon Rooney before? Sharon Rooney starred as Rae in Channel 4 sitcom My Mad Fat Diary. Her other TV credits include Scottish sitcom Two Doors Down, Channel 4 police procedural No Offence, BBC crime drama The Capture and ITV comedy-drama Finding Alice.
David Fleeshman plays Roger
Who is Roger? Roger is Jenna's father. He's a former headmaster and is highly regarded by those in the teaching community, including Jenna's boss. To say Roger's relationship with Jenna is strained is an understatement, as the above image conveys. He is highly critical of her lifestyle and voices his disappointment whenever they spend time together.
Where have I seen David Fleeshman before? David Fleeshman's CV includes ITV police procedural Trial and Retribution, Coronation Street, ITV period drama Heartbeat, BBC drama All the Small Things and Emmerdale, to name just a few.
Sarah-Jane Potts plays Mary
Who is Mary? Mary is Kyle's mum. She is horrified when she discovers what allegedly happened between Jenna and her son. She doesn't have much money to her name, but does the best that she can for her boy.
Where have I seen Sarah-Jane Potts before? Sarah-Jane Potts appeared in Channel 4 comedy-drama Sugar Rush, Casualty, Waterloo Road, Holby City, Gracepoint and Netflix's Zero Chill.
Tillie Amartey plays Izzy
Who is Izzy? Izzy is one of the pupils in Kyle's year and Nina's daughter. She's head of the popular crowd and enjoys teasing Bottomley's character whenever she can.
Where have I seen Tillie Amartey before? Tillie Amartey appeared in Almost Never, a CBBC comedy-drama about the trials and tribulations of a fictional boyband.
Karen Henthorn plays DI Sowerby
Who is DI Sowerby? DI Sowerby is the police officer leading the investigation into Kyle's allegation against Jenna. She adopts a no-nonsense, straight-talking approach to her job.
Where have I seen Karen Henthorn before? Karen Henthorn's CV includes ITV police thriller Viewpoint, ITV comedy-drama The Trouble with Maggie Cole, Doctors, Coronation Street and EastEnders.
Ian Puleston-Davies plays Brian
Who is Brian? Brian is the new man in Pauline's life. She wants him to move in with her but when she suggests it, he becomes distant.
Where have I seen Ian-Puleston-Davies before? Ian-Puleston-Davies has appeared in Viewpoint, Batman prequel series Pennyworth, Sky Atlantic crime drama Tin Star, ITV true-crime series A Confession, ITV detective series Marcella, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, plus many more.
Karen Bryson plays Ava
Who is Ava? Ava is Jenna's lawyer. She is a calm, level-headed presence in the face of her client's panic. She advises Jenna to the best of her abilities but knows that ultimately, it is Jenna who will decide how she fights this battle.
Where have I seen Karen Bryson before? Karen Bryson's credits include sitcom Matchmakers, thriller White Wall, police procedural Bulletproof, BBC drama MotherFatherSon, Netflix's Safe, crime drama Cuffs, Shameless and Jed Mercurio's Bodies.
Yemisi Oyinloye plays Denise
Who is Denise? Jenna contacts Denise in the hope that she will be able to help her solve the central mystery.
What have I seen Yemisi Oyinloye before? Yemisi Oyinloye has appeared in Emmerdale, Cold Feet, Cobra, Doctors, Casualty and ITV thriller Bancroft.
Reuben Johnson plays Sean
Who is Sean? Sean is Jenna's ex-boyfriend. He still talks to her dad every now and again, and reaches out to offer Jenna support following Kyle's allegation.
Where have I seen Reuben Johnson before? Reuben Johnson's CV includes Sky drama Cobra, Doctor Who, Doctors and BBC drama Prisoners' Wives.
Matt Devere plays Jojo
Who is Jojo? Jojo is a bouncer at the club where Jenna was caught with Kyle on CCTV. She hopes that he will be able to help her figure out what really happened.
What have I seen Matt Devere before? Matt Devere has appeared in Netflix's SAS: Red Notice, The Witcher and Robin Hood.
Aaronveer Dhillon plays Adnan
Who is Adnan? Adnan is Kyle’s classmate and friend.
What else have I seen Aaronveer Dhillon in? The Teacher appears to be his first TV credit.
Harry Hepple plays Gabriel
Who is Gabriel? Gabriel is the deputy head of a school that Jenna previously taught at. She hopes that he will be able to help her with her enquiries.
What else have I seen Harry Hepple in? Harry Hepple has appeared in the BBC sitcom Boy Meets Girl, Holby City and Doctors.
Anil Desai plays Ken
Who is Ken? Ken is the headmaster at the school which Jenna teaches at and a big admirer of her father Roger. He also thinks highly of Jenna's style of teaching and encourages her to apply for the Head of English role.
Where have I seen Anil Desai before? Anil Desai appeared in British sketch comedy Goodness Gracious Me with Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia, among others. He also appeared briefly in The Bill and Doctors.
Read more:
- The Teacher season 2 teases sinister development for Emmett J Scanlan's character
- The Teacher star Will Mellor was "worried" about one "emotional" scene
The Teacher season 2 airs from Monday 9th September to Thursday 12th September at 9pm on Channel 5. Stream on My5.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
