Yahoo News Ackley Bridge unveils new cast members and shares big update on season 4
Channel 4 has confirmed that filming will resume in September for series four of school drama Ackley Bridge.
And the show will also be expanding its cast with a new set of pupils.
Robyn Cara (Life, Hounslow Diaries) will play Kayla, a "funny, mixed-race pupil torn between her white mum's family and her traditional Pakistani dad's family".
Her best friend Fizza will be played by Yasmin Al Khudhairi (Hilda) and is described as a fiercely intelligent, fist-in-the-air firebrand.
Related: Ackley Bridge series 3 finale leaves fans wondering if there will be a series 4
Ryan Dean (The Gentleman, Penny on M.A.R.S.) will play Johnny, "a cocky, good-looking member of the traveller community who is deeply suspicious of school, and who catches the eye of both Kayla and Fizza".
The school will also be welcoming new student Marina, Kayla's "mean girl" sister, played by Carla Woodcock, and Tahir, played by Shobhit Piasa, "the smooth talking billy-liar nephew of Kaneez, whose salesman's patter hides a family secret".
Connor McIntyre, known to Coronation Street fans as the villainous Pat Phelan, will guest star in the series as Johnny's grandad.
The new stars will join returning cast members including Sunetra Sarker, Rob James Collier, Jo Joyner, Charlie Hardwick, Tony Jayawardena, Fern Deacon, Phoebe Tuffs-Berry, Cody Ryan, Nazmeen Kauser and Zara Salim.
Series four will consist of 10 episodes and will air on Channel 4 across two weeks in an earlier evening slot in 2021.
Announcing the new series, Channel 4 said that "all five of our writers are from diverse backgrounds".
The broadcaster added: "Diversity has always been at the heart of what makes Ackley Bridge so special – both in terms of the people and communities we tell stories about, and the new and diverse writing and directing talent we are a home to."
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