Meet Rochdale's stars of Waterloo Road

Photo: Jan Harwood

Stars in the making: Sophie and Chanice Simpson.

Having just finished filming for its fourth series at the former Hilltop Primary School, the popular BBC show Waterloo Road is sure to be a hit when it reaches the nation's screens again in the new year.

Alongside the all-star cast, which includes Denise Welch, Neil Morrissey and Angela Griffin, are young actors from Rochdale who appear as extras throughout the show.

Rochdale Online caught up with two sisters from Littleborough who got their chance in the spotlight during the filming of series four.

16-year old Chanice Simpson and her 14-year old sister Sophie spent six months filming as extras on the show after they were cast through their modelling agency. The Wardle High School teenagers often took their school work with them for the long days of filming, which could go on from seven in the morning until eight at night.

Sophie said: "I got a featured part with one of the main characters and I was complimented by some of the main actors. Angela Griffin said I was gorgeous and that she wanted her kids to look like me when they were older and Adam Thomas started singing 'Pretty Woman' to me on set! The best bit was talking to the other actors."

Chanice agreed, saying: "Talking to the main cast was probably one of the best bits because they were really nice and funny."

The sisters were on set at Hilltop for at least one day a week throughout filming so they had to be sure to stay on top of their school work. Now Chanice wants to study the performing arts at Manchester College when she finishes her GCSEs next summer, while Sophie has dreams of becoming an actress.

Chanice said: "We were saying how good it would be to be on Waterloo Road because we knew it was filmed in Rochdale when we signed up to our agency. A year later and I can't believe we've actually done it."

Her sister said it was great to get an opportunity like this in Rochdale. "All my friends were jealous and it's a great opportunity for me. It's good to have Rochdale mentioned like this, for the right reasons," she said.

Watch out for Chanice and Sophie when the Rochdale-based drama Waterloo Road returns to television in the new year.