In Channel 5 thriller The Teacher, Sheridan Smith plays Jenna, the titular teacher who is accused of having sex with one of her students. He claims she’s guilty, but Jenna has no memory of that night and isn’t so sure he’s telling the truth.
Did she do the unthinkable? Or is he lying? And if so, why?
There are plenty of familiar faces who appear alongside Smith in the four-part drama. Read on to find out who else you can expect to see and what other shows they’ve appeared in.
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 which 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.
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.
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.
Karen Henthorn plays DI Sowerby
Who is DI Sowerby? DI Sowerby is 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.
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.
The Teacher will launch on Channel 5 on Monday 31st January at 9pm with all four episodes being stripped across the week.
Looking for something else to watch? Plan your viewing with our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub for the latest news.
