*Contains spoilers for the first episode of the 2023 revival of Waterloo Road*

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Waterloo Road returned to our screens on Tuesday night (3rd January 2023) and featured the heartbreaking death of a legacy character.

The conclusion of the instalment saw viewers wave a permanent goodbye to Chlo Charles (Katie Griffiths) after she experienced a brain haemorrhage after a night at home with her husband Donte (Adam Thomas) and their children.

Fans of the original run of Waterloo Road will remember the love story of pupils Donte and Chlo, the latter of whom was the daughter of art teacher Izzie Redpath (Jill Halfpenny).

The pair married young and even had a baby as teens but their love endured multiple hardships, including the murder of Chlo's mother and infidelities.

Early in the revival's premiere episode, Chlo had walked her daughter Izzy Charles (Scarlett Thomas) to her first day at school at William Beswick school.

During the walk, Chlo was struck by a car after teacher Coral Walker (Rachel Leskovac) accidentally collided her car into the one in front of her which then saw Chlo hit her head.

Chlo proceeded to experience no symptoms to suggest she was harmed beyond an injured arm and refused further medical attention after being seen by the school nurse,who wrapped up a sprained wrist.

The character then visited headteacher Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin) who has been a teacher to Chlo during her time at Waterloo Road.

Katie Griffiths as Chlo Charles in Waterloo Road.
Katie Griffiths as Chlo Charles in Waterloo Road BBC/Wall To Wall/Rope Ladder Fiction/David Gennard

Armed with a proposal, Chlo suggested that the school take up the use of therapy animals to help pupils with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and other conditions, as it helped with her own son Tommy Charles (Teddy Thomas) who was diagnosed with ADD.

While Kim did not take Chlo's suggestion any further, it did add to the headteacher's resolve to bring about change and drop the controversial name of the school – named after a slave trader – and name it the area's much-loved former school, Waterloo Road.

Chlo's discussion with Kim prompted the former Waterloo Road pupil to decide to train up as a teaching assistant and explore her aspirations to help children further.

However, following an evening with her husband and children, Chlo experienced an intense headache and then collapsed.

Adam Thomas as Donte Charles embraces Katie Griffiths as Chlo Charles in Waterloo Road.
Adam Thomas as Donte Charles embraces Katie Griffiths as Chlo Charles in Waterloo Road. BBC/Wall To Wall/Rope Ladder Fiction/Helen Williams

A rush to the hospital later saw Donte and his children delivered terrible news from a medic that Chlo had not survived.

How will the Charles family cope without Chlo? And will there be any consequences for Coral who hit her with her car?

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Waterloo Road continues on BBC One on Tuesdays at 8pm, with the new series also available now on BBC iPlayer as a boxset. All 10 seasons of the classic run are currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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Lewis KnightTrends Editor

Lewis Knight is the Trends Editor for Radio Times, covering trending titles from TV, Film and more. He previously worked at The Mirror in TV, Film, and Showbiz coverage alongside work on SEO. Alongside his past work in advertising, he possesses a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Film Studies.

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