The BBC has revealed two exciting new stars for the second series of its hit comedy-drama Boarders: The Traitors US’ Alan Cumming and EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy. The show, crafted by BAFTA-nominated writer and actor Daniel Lawrence Taylor, is set to make a comeback on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer this February.
Filmed across Bristol, Boarders centres around five black students – Jaheim, Leah, Toby, Omar, and Femi – who attend the elite St. Gilbert’s boarding school on scholarships that were given out more for boosting the institution’s image than rewarding academic excellence.
Natalie Cassidy will step into the shoes of Sharon Hail, an eccentric teacher at a rival school, while Alan Cumming will portray a perfectionist party host, also named Alan.
Reflecting on her experience, Natalie expressed her excitement to the BBC: “I loved series one of Boarders and was so thrilled to be asked to appear in series two. There is such talent amongst all the cast and crew and I loved playing a very eccentric teacher. Don’t miss it!”
Alan shared the love he had for the series, even before joining the project: “I’ve always said that letting people know you are a fan of theirs is a good idea. And, so it was with Boarders. I mentioned this to the producers (who also happen to produce The Traitors), and very soon after, I found myself on the set having such a fun time!”
Boarders creator Daniel, who also plays Gus in the show, added: “Welcoming the fantastic Alan Cumming and Natalie Cassidy to St. Gilbert’s was an absolute pleasure and they were a joy to work with. I can’t wait for viewers to see what they got up to on campus!”
The show’s executive producer, Madeleine Sinclair, also shared her enthusiasm about the new additions, stating: “To have the calibre of actors in Natalie and Alan to join Boarders this season is testament to Daniel’s writing and the success of the show both in the UK on the BBC and in the US on TUBI. We can’t wait to see how they are welcomed by our Boarders audiences.”
The new season sees the students fighting for their places in the school, while Carol Watlington-Geese, the newly-appointed headmistress and mother of Jaheim’s nemeses Rupert, works tirelessly to oust them from St. Gilbert’s.
Amongst the returnees are Jodie Campvell as Leah, Sekou Diaby taking on Toby, Myles Kamwendo playing Omar, and Aruna Jalloh as Femi, along with Niky Wardley, Harry Gilby, and Tallulah Greive.
Also joining the cast are Loki’s Wunmi Mosaku as Jaheim’s mother, Downton Abbey’s Cara Theobold as the school’s new writer in residence, and Supacell’s Michael Salami as Femi’s uncle.
The first season of Boarders is available for streaming on BBC iPlayer for those in the UK, and on Tubi for viewers across North America and Latin America.