Waterloo Road star Reece Douglas has revealed that his father has taken his own life in a heartbreaking post.
The actor, 30, is best known for playing Denzil Kelly on the BBC school drama from 2009 to 2012.
On Thursday he took to Instagram to share the sad news as he said he hopes to make his dad proud.
He penned alongside a picture of the pair: ‘I love you so much dad. Knowing my dad recently, more so than ever, never did I truly know he’d take his life.
‘I’m going to make you so proud.’
Under the post Reece was flooded with messages from his friends and other fellow soap actors.
Waterloo Road star Reece Douglas has revealed that his father has taken his own life in a heartbreaking post
The actor, 30, is best known for playing Denzil Kelly on the BBC school drama from 2009 to 2012
Former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks actor Anthony Quinn wrote: ‘Sorry to hear the news mate. Sending love and thoughts to you and family.’
Emmerdale’s Danny Miller penned: ‘Oh mate I’m so sorry! Sending loads of love brother.’
Actor Reece played student Denzil in the school drama which he joined in series four.
His storyline followed him struggling to fit in at school due to a difficult home environment and family situation.
His character was then killed off in series seven when he died in a lorry accident while travelling up to Scotland.
After Waterloo Road, Reece appeared in shows such as Doctors, Casualty and Holby City.
He notably also acted alongside Tom Cruise in the film Walking Against The Rain back in 2022.
He also had a lead role in the film Cleft Lip which was released on streaming platform Netflix in 2018.
After Waterloo Road, Reece appeared in shows such as Doctors, Casualty and Holby City. He now works in tech
Under the heartbreaking post Reece was flooded with messages from his friends and other fellow soap actors
However Reece now works in tech and splits his time between Manchester and Costa Rica, as per his Instagram bio.
Reece previously revealed that he turned down the chance to appear on ITV dating show Love Island.
He said: ‘In 2020 I was asked to appear on Love Island and blankly refused.
‘I’d rather spend years building a small following than having hundreds of thousands of followers based on vanity instead of providing valuable knowledge.’
On his decision to pursue business as well as acting, Reece said: ‘At the outset I should say I am still an actor; but unless you’re in a soap, the work is never guaranteed – which means I have the time to pursue my other passion of business.’
‘Contrary to popular belief most actors haven’t earned enough money to retire – I certainly haven’t!’
Waterloo Road was originally axed in 2015, but following a revival in audiences during the first COVID lockdown, it returned to screens following an eight-year break in 2023.
The secondary school-set show first aired in 2006 and won legions of fans by tackling numerous tough issues over its 200-episode run.
Cameron Roach, Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction and Exec Producer for Waterloo Road said as it returned: ‘We’re incredibly thrilled to be recommissioned for a further two seasons of the new era of Waterloo Road.
Actor Reece played student Denzil in the school drama which he joined in series four (seen far left)
‘This commitment by the BBC underlines the show’s ability to not only be a compelling entertaining drama for a younger audience, but to also serve as a true talent incubator across the craft skills for a new generation of crew and cast.
‘We have been so energised by the audience’s reaction to the show, and our first-hand experience of outreach work with numerous partners, and their level of engagement, really demonstrates the continued importance and power of the show.
‘This really is a huge team effort, and a tangible result to the brilliant collegiate atmosphere behind the scenes – a genuine thank you to everyone involved in Waterloo Road.’
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama added: ‘It’s incredibly rewarding to see Waterloo Road go from strength to strength – both creatively on screen, where it remains hugely popular with viewers of all ages, as well as behind the scenes developing the next generation of exciting UK television talent.’
