Josh Tedeku, star of the BBC drama Boarders, has opened up about his time on set for the eagerly anticipated second season, which audiences can now binge-watch in its entirety on iPlayer.
Just one year after making a splash with its highly praised debut, all six episodes of the successful school-set series’ sophomore season are available, much to the delight of fans.
The hit series follows a group of five Black, inner-city teenagers—Jaheim Marsham (played by Tedeku), Leah Dulverton (Jodie Campbell), Omar Palmer-Grace (Myles Kamwendo), Femi Adebeyo (Aruna Jalloh) and Toby Staithes (Sekou Diaby)—who land scholarships at the elite St Gilbert’s boarding school.
Their arrival immediately causes tension among their peers and even faces pushback from faculty members and parents.
After carving out their place in the first season, the quintet faces new challenges in these six fresh episodes as Carol Watlington-Geese (Niky Wardley), determined to drive them away, takes over as headmistress.
Boarders cast ‘hammered each other with insults’ in improvised scene (Image: BBC)
Yet, despite the increased drama, there are still many humorous moments, which Tedeku happily recalls.
He described his favourite instance on set: “My favourite moment has to be shooting a scene with Mohammed Mansaray who plays Malachi and Zheng Xi Yong who plays Xiang.
“Where we were improvising an argument where we were just hammering each other with insults.”
The banter got so over-the-top that the cast couldn’t contain their laughter. “The insults we used against each other were so ridiculous and funny – we were all dying of laughter that day!” Tedeku fondly remembered.
Josh Tedeku spills on filming Boarders season two (Image: BBC)
In the debut season, Jaheim forges a bond with his new roommate Xiang, while his childhood friend Malachi, entangled in local crime, remains a significant figure in his life.
As Jaheim’s two worlds begin to merge, tensions escalate, culminating in a heated argument that, despite its intensity, sparked laughter during production.
Actor Tedeku hinted at the challenges ahead: “He’s going through a lot. He’s got issues with his family, people at school to deal with and then Carol, the new headmistress, who is now his biggest enemy.
Toby and Jaheim’s friendship grows stronger this season (Image: BBC)
“So all in all, it’s a lot for Jaheim. How does he deal with it all? You’ll have to tune in to find out!”
Tedeku also expressed enthusiasm for one particular development in the second season, saying, “I’m excited for people to see the blossoming of Jaheim and Toby’s relationship,” and added, “It was really fun to build on that this series.”
With the release of Boarders’ eagerly anticipated second season, both fans and critics are abuzz with praise, making it an unmissable addition to your evening TV line-up.
Boarders season 2 is available to stream on iPlayer.