The Teacher cast: Who stars in season 3 of 5 thriller?

This article contains discussion of suicide that some readers may find distressing.

Season 3 of The Teacher explores the feud between the titular educator and one of her students.

"Helen Simpson, a teacher with 30 years' experience, dismisses what she considers the woke ideologies of the younger generation," reads the official synopsis.

"Cressida Bancroft, an influential female student, dislikes Helen for accusing her of being a woke warrior to gain popularity."

But when another student dies, Helen finds herself fighting not just to save her career, but her entire life.

"I was really excited to explore subject matter that is really pertinent to now, and I don't think I've ever seen it discussed this way, or in such depth," said Victoria Hamilton, who leads the cast as Helen.

"We’re looking at the problem of the generation divide and what gets lost in translation between us, which is something people continually talk about. I'm a mum of teenagers, and it's very refreshing to see a script that's actually addressing what has broken down between us, because I do think there has been a breakdown in communication."

Hamilton is joined in the series by up-and-comer Alice Grant, alongside a number of other familiar faces – and some you may not recognise.

Read on for the full cast rundown.

The Teacher season 3 cast

• Victoria Hamilton as Helen Simpson
• Steve Edge as Terry Simpson
• Rochenda Sandall as Tessa Stewart
• Alice Grant as Cressida Bancroft
• Olly Rhodes as Sam Simpson
• Peter Ash as Sebastian Blake
• Navin Chowdry as Simon Cookson
• Ellis Jupiter as Dee Rainford-Thomas
• Shak Benjamin as Leo Dalton
• Malek Alkoni as Miles Crawford
• Natalie Gavin as DS O’Brien

For more information about the characters and where you've seen the actors who play them before, read on.

Victoria Hamilton plays Helen Simpson

Who is Helen Simpson? Helen has over 30 years of teaching experience and has recently become head of drama at the boarding school where she works. But she "finds herself being challenged by an outspoken pupil" – who calls her out when Helen stumbles over a student's pronouns – and a "sinister grudge match quickly develops".

What else has Victoria Hamilton been in? You might have watched her in Unforgotten, COBRA, The Crown, Doctor Foster and Lark Rise to Candleford, among others.

Alice Grant plays Cressida Bancroft

Who is Cressida Bancroft? She's described as an "influential alpha female student". Cressida doesn't like Helen after she accuses her of "attention-seeking and using her woke ideologies to gain likes" – so she uses another student to get across her opinions.

What else has Alice Grant been in? You might have watched her in Mary & George.

Steve Edge plays Terry Simpson

Who is Terry Simpson? Helen's husband. "Some things have gone wrong in his life, and he's trying to patch them all back together," said Edge. "He’s had a mental breakdown recently, which has affected his relationship with his estranged wife, Helen.

"He’s not happy with the way she dealt with it, but she has her own demons too."

What else has Steve Edge been in? You probably know him from The Madame Blanc Mysteries and Benidorm.

Rochenda Sandall plays Tessa Stewart

Who is Tessa Stewart? One of Helen's colleagues, described by Sandall as "a very modern teacher".

"She’s really into the politics of young people and tries to understand their thought processes," she added. "She’s a very understanding adult for the students to turn to, there’s zero judgement from her and everything is open for discussion."

What else has Rochenda Sandall been in? Her credits include Line of Duty, Amandaland, The Rig and Criminal: UK.

Olly Rhodes plays Sam Simpson

Who is Sam Simpson? Helen and Terry's son. Sam lives on campus with his mum. He "recently left his former school for personal reasons and has been enrolled at Cheetham Hall", but he's being bullied online.

What else has Olly Rhodes been in? Hollyoaks and Waterloo Road are some of the shows he's appeared in.

Peter Ash plays Sebastian Blake

Who is Sebastian Blake? He interviewed for Helen's role. He also "wants to support the students and radicalise the curriculum by stepping away from Shakespeare".

What else has Peter Ash been in? He's best known for Coronation Street. He's also appeared in Footballers' Wives.

Ellis Jupiter plays Dee Rainford-Thomas

Who is Dee Rainford-Thomas? A vulnerable student who identifies as non-binary. "After a clash of ideals, Helen detains Cressida and Dee". Dee later dies by suicide.

What else has Ellis Jupiter been in? This is their first major role.

Shak Benjamin plays Leo Dalton

Who is Leo Dalton? Dee's best friend. Leo and Helen's son Sam grow close following their death.

What else has Shak Benjamin been in? He has appeared in Sex Education.

Additional cast includes:

• Navin Chowdry (EastEnders) plays Simon Cookson – the headmaster. He organises a meeting among the teachers to "establish a support network for the students".
• Malek Alkoni (The Crow Girl) plays Miles Crawford – one of Helen's students.
• Natalie Gavin (Passenger) plays DS O’Brien – the detective leading the investigation following Dee's death.

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The Teacher season 3 premieres on 5 at 9pm on Monday 30 March. The remaining three episodes will air across three consecutive nights. All episodes will also be available to stream from 10pm.

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