Nicholas Gleaves (Bodyguard, Coronation Street) will take on the iconic role of The Demon Headmaster for the modern age when the show returns to screens later this year on CBBC.

The classic drama series was broadcast between 1996 and 1998 and originally starred Terrence Hardiman as the horrifying headmaster with hypnotic powers. Over 20 years later, children will enjoy the same terrifying twists as they watch a group of mismatched kids discover their headmaster is using hypnotism to gain ultimate control of their school.

Gillian Cross, the author of the books the original series was based on, has released a new novel which reveals the Demon Headmaster has become a ‘Super Head’ of an Academy.
“It is an absolute stroke of genius to bring back this iconic series and I feel incredibly lucky to play the role. The Demon Headmaster is a dark magician and I’ve loved bringing the character to life. It’s always an actors dream to play extremes and he is the ultimate villain.” Nicholas Gleaves commented.
“We all know how compelling and memorable the original Demon Headmaster series was and when we heard that Gillian Cross had created an updated version, we thought it was too wonderful a creative opportunity to miss. We’re sure that the fierce battle between the plucky pupils and our manipulative new Demon Head – Nicholas Gleaves – will prove just as hypnotic for all CBBC drama fans.” Cheryl Taylor, Head of Content BBC Children’s commented.
“I’m a huge fan of Gillian’s books and of the original 90s BBC show. Terrence Hardiman’s chilling charisma made the role of the Headmaster an unforgettable character. I’m thrilled that Nicholas Gleaves is playing the Headmaster in the new series, he’s a wonderful actor and he’s already terrifying everyone who’s been on set.” Writer, Emma Reeves commented.

The Demon Headmaster is produced for CBBC by Children’s in House Productions and Spencer Campbell is the Executive Producer. Told over ten 30-minutes episodes, the show will be available to watch on CBBC and BBC iPlayer.