Channel 5's The Teacher confirmed to be returning for third season with a brand-new star

Known for her roles in Doctor Foster, COBRA and The Crown, it has now been confirmed that Victoria Hamilton will be taking up the helm of The Teacher season 3 as respected drama teacher Helen.

According to her character synopsis, Helen is "struggling to keep up with modern social expectations in a reputable private school".

It continues: "Recently promoted to Head of Drama, Helen finds herself being challenged by outspoken pupil Cressida when she stumbles over student Dee's correct pronouns and insists that her class study Shakespeare as opposed to more modern progressive works.

"A sinister grudge match quickly develops between teacher and pupil and, when Dee commits suicide following an argument with Helen, Cressida resorts to blackmail to make Helen pay for her 'outdated' views.

"As the war intensifies and her world comes crashing down around her, Helen must fight to hold on to both her family and her career before she loses everything."

For those familiar with Hamilton's most recent role in ITV's Unforgotten, the character of Helen is not too dissimilar to the role she played as history lecturer and faculty head Juliet Cooper.

While there is, of course, no link to the two roles, Hamilton's role in Unforgotten saw her character similarly get into trouble with the student body after using derogatory language and was suspended from her role at a central London university.

In this new instalment of the 5 series, though, it seems that there's plenty more that will play out in Helen's story as her professional life melds with her personal and the stakes continue to grow ever larger.

The original series of The Teacher saw Sheridan Smith's protagonist teacher accused of sleeping with one of her students after a night out, with the second season focusing on Kara Tointon's Dani Osborne embroiled in a murder conspiracy which didn't only threaten her job as an art teacher, but also her marriage.

As of now, further casting is set to be announced, but something tells us that Hamilton will slot in nicely to the thriller, which is sure to pack in the twists and turns.

Many will likely recognise Hamilton for her role as neighbour Anna Baker in Doctor Foster, a role she reprised in BBC series Life which aired in 2020.

She has also more recently starred in the likes of Deep State and COBRA, having also had roles in Lark Rise to Candleford, The Time of Your Life and Babyfather.

We don't yet have any dates relating to the start of production or release so watch this space for updates.

The Teacher is available to stream on My5.

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