Boarders follows five talented black inner-city teens transported to an alien world – an elite British boarding school – after gaining scholarships to the prestigious St. Gilbert’s.
Now they’ve made it to the final term, exams are looming and the pressure is on. They’ve set their sights on big futures – but new dramas are erupting everywhere. A shocking school rivalry brings violence, love triangles and shattered friendships. Can the scholarship kids conquer the madness to come out on top?
VHW
Meet the Boarders cast and creatives
Aruna Jalloh (Femi)
How does it feel to be back filming a final series?
It’s kind of sad, because every day is its last, and you just know that it’s all going to be done soon. It’s sad, but it’s fun, we’ve all grown as well.
Can you explain what’s going on with Femi at the start of series three?
He’s in a good place actually. I think he is looking forward to drama and where that’s going to take him.
And if you have to give advice to Femi with everything he’s dealing with over series three what would you say?
Believe in yourself more. Stop shape shifting for people.
Would you be friends with Femi if you were in school?
I wouldn’t be friends with him in school, he would be someone that I’d have a laugh with, but I don’t think friends. But I do feel like the older we get, maybe we’d be friends.
Where do you see Femi in five years?
I see Femi in a political party. Weirdly enough, he actually reminds me of somebody that I know that I grew up with – he’s now a Councillor and he did acting in the past. We’re good friends, and he told me he did acting, but found it too tough. He’s also Nigerian, but not like Femi.
What are your favourite memories from on set?
Running butt naked, I always bring this up. Honestly, that’s the freest I’ve ever felt. Femi doing his speech in series two, where he actually finds himself. That was fun and a bit of a challenge. I love that.
What’s it like working with Satya and Yero?
Satya shows a lot of care. He really shows how much he cares for the stories, the characters and us as people. Yero is from where I’m from, she’s really nice and has loads of ideas.
Do you have a message for the fans?
Thank you to everybody that has tuned in and watched Boarders from the beginning, even if you’re just getting on board now. Thank you so much. It means a lot to us, more than you would think. The more we grow with it over time, the more of a place we realise this has in our hearts.
Jodie Campbell (Leah)
How’s it filming the final series of Boarders?
Coming back for the final series is emotional and it’s exciting.
What’s going on with Leah at the start of the series?
Leah’s not in a good place at the start of series three, she’s realising the gravity of the last two seasons and why she’s at St Gilbert’s. She’s really just focusing on making it worth it. So with that she’s not thinking about her health, or her well-being, because she is just so focused on her studies and getting to where she feels like she needs to be.
If you had to give advice to her, what would you say?
You can’t plan everything. Life has funny ways of happening, sometimes you just got to give in to it. And also take care of yourself.
If you had to pick a moment from playing Leah over this past three series, that really sticks out in your mind what would it be?
There are so many moments that I loved from Leah. I think one of my favourites was when we wrecked the portrait in series one. That was a big cathartic moment for me and Leah. In season one, I had to look at that portrait so many times. Every scene, every episode I was looking at it. So actually wrecking it, felt like, oh my gosh, finally, no more scenes looking at the portrait! And then obviously for Leah, it was a really cathartic moment, because it had been looming over her this whole time and a reminder that she’s not welcome in this space.
Where do you see Leah in 5 years?
I see her doing really well for herself. I don’t actually think she’s going to get into law. She’s probably going to go and do law school, and she’s going to realise this actually doesn’t make her happy. I hope she has some sort of return to music, as I know she really enjoyed that. I think she’s going to be tapping into her academic side, but a little less stressful. Let me think of a career for her. Marketing? Leah’s going to be in Marketing.
What’s it been like working with Satya and Yero?
Working with them has been really good. I think it’s really hard for us and the directors to come into a final series when they haven’t been involved the whole time. But both of those two just fitted in really easily. They both have a really great understanding of our characters, and they both have a lot of care for the story.
Do you have a message for the fans?
Hey guys, thank you so much for watching Borders these past three years. It’s been a crazy journey for us. I hope you’ve enjoyed coming on that journey with us, and we really appreciate all of the comments, all of the support, the love, it’s been beautiful. I hope you enjoy this last one.
Josh Tedeku (Jaheim)
How does it feel to be back?
Good! It’s nice to be back with the cast and everyone, but I do spend a lot of time with them outside anyway, so this is kind of like a little retreat for us, but working at the same time, which is fun. And obviously doing it for all the people that watched it is nice as well. So good all around.
Where do we find Jaheim at the beginning of series three?
He’s figured out that he’s going to go to America, so he’s packing and tying up loose ends. He doesn’t really want to tell his friends so they don’t make it a big deal because he knows they will. Then that’s it for him, he’s out. Maybe a couple calls and then just living life in America.
Do you feel the end of school feeling?
Not really because I never stopped seeing these guys. You think it’s going to be sad not seeing them but I know I’ll see them the day after we wrap. So I don’t really have that type of feeling. But with the crew it’s nice to see them one last time and then put it to bed.
What has been your favourite moment?
I’m not actually a big fan of Jaheim as a person, but you don’t have to be to be an actor. So I do my job and I criticise him after. But when I’m playing him, obviously all my motives are his motives. Maybe the argument with Xiang and Malachi last season was quite funny. Acting with Nikki who plays Carol, that’s quite fun as well, because she’s an amazing person.
Do you have a message for the fans?
Thank you to everyone who watched all the series so far. I hope you enjoy series three. Thank you for riding with us. Thank you for supporting and we’ll see you down the road.
Myles Kamwendo (Omar)
How does it feel to be back?
Great. When you get season two, it’s great, but to get a third is even better. So very happy to be back again.
How do you feel filming the finale of Boarders?
It’s amazing. We’ve come a long way since the early days two years ago. It’s only hit me now that this is our third year doing it, third year at the school. It’s bittersweet in a way, but also it feels good to round up our characters and their stories.
What’s going on with Omar at the start of series three?
At the start season three Omar is in a very strange place. The Raisinets are dead. He’s dealing with the aftermath of what happened in the final, after the drawings and all. He’s trying to figure that out, figure out where he stands, as well as dealing with this new relationship he has with the master Raisinet, Johnny.
How does it feel working with your castmates for the last time?
Oh, don’t say it’s the last time. I wouldn’t say it’s the last time. I’d say it’s just the last time on this show. Because I’m sure that I will work with them in the future. I’m certain that our paths will cross. But in terms of it being our last time on this show, it’s sad, because, we’ve come a long way with each other. We’ve treaded this path together. I’m sad, but also happy.
If you had to give any advice to Omar, what would you say?
Stand on business. That’s the advice I’d give Omar. Stand on business. Just stand on your own two feet and just do it. Screw what other people say, because life’s too short to really care about other people’s thoughts and opinions.
Do you think if you were at school with Omar, you’d be friends?
I think I would definitely chat to him. Me personally I felt like I could get on with everyone at school. I could talk to people outside of the groups that I was involved with. I don’t know about friends, but maybe acquaintances.
What parts of your character are you proud of?
I was proud to finally standing up to Rupert in series one, when he knees him in the balls. I feel like that was a great turning point for the character. At the end of series two, I was also proud of the idea of him going to the ball, especially when everyone hated him and he had all these secrets that were out. The idea that he just said, okay, cool, I’m going to do this and if people look at me, if people laugh at me, that’s fine, but I’m just going to go. I’m proud of those two decisions in particular.
Where do you see Omar in five years?
In five years, I see Omar graduating art school. I see him just being an artist, travelling, honing his craft, his art. I don’t see him being big time successful yet, but I see him making the steps towards that. Whether that’s getting involved with galleries and getting his pieces out, whatever it is.
What’s it been like working with Yero?
It’s been great working with Yero. She just lets us do our thing, and we were given the freedom to do what we like. Especially after we’ve played these characters for three years now, and instinctively we know where to go with it. So, it’s great having someone who just lets us play.
What has been your favourite moment over the three series?
I have many favourite moments. One of them was the first day when all five of us were together, when we shot episode one, the bus scene, when we were preparing to leave Lewisham. That was a great day. And that was the first time we were together as a five. That was amazing. Assembly week, series one, when everybody was together. It was hot, but it was great and it was just nice to have everybody in one room, in one space. Then series two, the salt and pepper burn, that was a great two days in Bath. That was fun. I really enjoyed that.
Do you have a message for the fans?
Thank you for watching Boarders over the last three years. A lot of blood, sweat and tears has gone into this, and we appreciate the love and the support. Hopefully you’ll enjoy what’s to come. This is not necessarily goodbye from all of us, but we’ll see you down the road. So, thank you so much and take care.
Sekou Diaby (Toby)
How does it feel to be back filming the final series?
Bittersweet. It’s nice to let it come to a close, but I’m going to miss it. It’s been emotional. It’s a strange feeling. I’m grateful, Alhamdulillah.
Where do we find Toby at the beginning of series three?
Toby and Abby are pretty settled and in a good place but… as you could guess, something then goes terribly wrong. Toby goes into a bit of a spiral that we’ve not seen before. He actually almost falls off.
If you could give advice to Toby, what would it be?
Listen to yourself. A lot of the time, he listens to other people, which has its value, but then his gut feeling, he doesn’t listen to. He knows what to do but he over complicates it trying to logicalise everything. Which ends up landing himself in a worse position. This season he just needs to block out all the noise and listen to his heart.
Where do you see Toby in five years?
He’s graduated from big boy Cambridge. He’d probably be starting out in a company that does international business or marketing, but I’m just guessing. He’d be happy that he’s finally on a decent salary that’s for sure!
What have been your favourite moments from filming Boarders?
For me the last day of season one, when they said, that’s a wrap on Sekou, that was a special moment.
What has it been like working with Yero?
It’s been lovely. She brings a super detailed and intricate perspective to the text and the story.
Do you have a message for the fans?
Thank you so much for watching Boarders series one, two and three. It’s sad that we’re done, but glad you enjoyed it! Thank you. You’re going to like this season! – inshallah.
Yero Timi-Biu (Director of episodes 1-3)
L-R: Myles Kamwendo, Sekou Diaby, Jodie Campbell, Aruna Jalloh, Josh Tedeku
How did you feel coming in to direct Boarders?
I’ve been a fan of Boarders since its inception and have known Daniel and the team for a while, so I jumped at the opportunity to direct the first block of the final series that’s loved internationally. Now our main characters are finally transitioning into adulthood, there’s definitely a lot of pressure to go out with a bang, but I know them well, and love them so knew I could follow through.
From a creative production perspective what was it like filming in two blocks with two directors?
Creatively, I wanted to make the show feel more grownup by aging up the characters a little as they’re going into the real world now, and to explore life after St. Gilbert’s; the anticipation of what’s to come and lean into the uncertainty. I remember being in sixth form at a school similar to St. Gilbert’s (without the price tag) where everyone had plenty of expectations and the pressure mounting was immense.
It was important to navigate this growth and change through costume, (new outfits and style for characters we’ve already established) hair and make-up (without spoilers, doing your A-Levels and trying to get into Oxbridge is stressful, so alongside our trusted Heads of Departments, we were super intentional with looks this year) and we made sure we were world-building with new locations.
And Satya is an amazing director and human, I was already a fan of his work and vision so it was great to work alongside him. We had creative conversations early on about what I could seed in for the second block for our character’s emotional journeys and what my intentions for the series were. It was cool to pass the baton on to him, I set up the process of saying goodbye to our characters, but he was the one who made sure we were able to say the final goodbye to them as an audience.
Was there anything that you can talk about that was specific to your block in your direction?
Both DP Yinka Edward and I discussed intimacy through friendships and budding relationships, and we used many filmic references for our scenes during prep.
A new theme in series three is exploring tighter eye lines (when the characters almost appear as though they’re looking into the camera in a POV shot) to establish new connections, romance, anguish, discomfort – they’re ambitious, confused, and even fearful young people going through very adult things. I wanted to retain the world of St. Gilbert’s, but view it through a new lens as the characters question what lies beyond it.
Do you have a favourite character?
A favourite character… Can I be greedy? Leah because she’s extremely self-assured and secure in herself, she makes no apologies for it whilst still being a decent human. But also Femi as I can relate to his British-Nigerianness, even if he makes questionable decisions, I’m still rooting for him! Though, maybe… Toby, he’s a genius and has calm, light-hearted presence in any wild situation (often of his own doing). I have a soft spot for Omar and how he channels his creativity. I love that Jaheim has been anchored as the CEO of the friendship group, but manages to do his own thing too without conforming. They’re all my faves.
Did you have a scene that was the most fun to shoot?
There’s a scene where Femi meets Cheddar’s dad for the first time and we were all in stitches on set. It’s extremely awkward for everyone except for Cheddar’s dad, he’s revelling in it. There was lots of space for play and improvising with an already strong script. My favourite scene I shot was actually a much more chilled date night between one of our mains and a new character to Boarders world, it was one of the first scenes up on the schedule to film, and the production design team pulled it out of the bag with set design, the lighting team too, and the cast smashed it – it’s just really sweet to watch.
Do you have a message for the fans?
I hope we’ve honoured the beloved five and you’re prepared to say goodbye to them. Brace yourselves! You’re in for a ride…
Satya Bhabha (Director of episodes 4-6)
How did you feel coming in to direct Boarders?
I was really excited about it. It’s a show that I love, and I think that it’s one of the rare comedy dramas that is both funny and also truly dramatic. The actors have the incredible ability to flip between being hilarious and also really grounded and emotional. So doing the finale felt like an exciting challenge and an opportunity to do justice to not only the amazing work of everybody who’s been creating the show over the years, but also of the audience who’s been supporting it and falling in love with these characters over the last three years.
From a creative production perspective what was it like filming in two blocks with two directors?
Frequently, as directors in television, we go from block to block, so we’re used to working with other directors and doing handoffs between productions. The two blocks generally function quite separately as you really don’t overlap a lot with the other director. I had some ideas and desires regarding what I wanted to do creatively, and Daniel and Maddie were very supportive of them, so I felt very able to run with my impulses and creative vision.
Was there anything specific that you can talk about that was specific to your block in your direction?
There were a few specific things I was really trying to access in this block. I was conscious of how the architecture of the school dominated the frame so much in the early seasons. You really felt like these kids were dwarfed by the majesty and scale of the school. So I was always looking for ways to subvert that, to make them feel bigger than the architecture. I wanted to capture the feeling of being in your final year of school when you kind of own the place: you go up the down staircase, you know how to break into the room that nobody’s allowed in. It was important for me to show that they had developed some power, agency, and ownership over the space that in early seasons had really controlled them. I
was also very excited about the opportunity to create Omar’s piece of art and to shoot his artistic “coming out”, if you will. I felt like this was a real opportunity for a character who has spent a lot of time hiding or secreting his art and his ideas away to really come out in a public sphere. I think that the piece of art really enabled us to do that.
Do you have a favourite character?
I see aspects of myself in all of the different characters. I definitely think that there’s qualities to Toby – how he’s always trying to solve a problem and move forward – that I relate to. There’s certainly aspects of Omar as a queer guy finding his way in the world that also really related to me. I’ve also definitely got a bit of the Type A Leah-ness about me. I think that in this back half of the season, we get to show a huge amount of growth for Femi, which was also very exciting. Femi is a character who’s often had doors slammed in his face and been squeezed into different versions of himself. He really got to find himself and show that self to the school. So as long as it’s not Carol, I relate to all of them!
Did you have a scene that was the most fun to shoot?
I love big setups and big days. So, the big hockey sequence and the huge face-off between both schools in the courtyard, were scenes that I found really exciting. The hustings sequence, which involved working with a lot of background actors, choreography, and scale was also really fun. Surprisingly, some of the most challenging scenes are the ones in the dorm rooms, just because those spaces are very hard to manoeuvre in. Particularly when you start to get four or five actors in the room, it gets very tricky to light and to think about where the camera can be. I’m someone who likes to move the camera a lot in aid of telling the story, and there’s often not a lot of options to do that in those rooms.
So there were a couple of tricky scenes in there – like the one where Omar shows all of his friends his sculpture, that were hard to crack. But I’m always excited when we get to show dynamism and movement and scale and there were so many opportunities for that in this block. Ultimately I’m really happy with how the graduation sequence came out – it feels epic yet also intimate and moving, and shows that space in a totally different way than we’ve ever seen it before.
Do you have a message for the fans?
Thank you so much for all of your support. I really hope you enjoy series three.
Daniel Lawrence Taylor (Creator, Writer and Executive Producer and also plays Gus)
Where do we meet the characters at the start of series three?
At the start of series three, we meet our five as they enter their final term of St. Gilbert’s. Pressure is at its highest because it’s exam season. It’s all decided in this moment as to whether they’ll go to their dream university or start their wonderful journeys into something great or not. So we meet them very much in a pressure cooker at the top of this season.
Can you talk about the writing process and whether there were any surprises?
It was a mixture of things. Stepping back into series three, we knew the characters so well. Me and all my writers, we knew the characters, we knew the world. So in that sense, there weren’t any surprises. But at the same time, putting them in a new environment, with it being the final term and everything resting on this moment. These characters have gone from being very cautious and not quite knowing their space in series one as they entered St Gilbert’s, to now being fully fledged members of St Gilbert’s and being in the same boat as everyone else, where pressure and expectation is on them.
So in that sense, it was quite an interesting space to be in when putting together the characters, and also just for us as writers, we were all trying to cast our minds back to what it was like to be that age. Where you were told your exams are the be all and end all, and it’s not until you come out the other end where you’re like no, it doesn’t really matter. But at the time, I remember it feeling like it was everything. So me and the writers were trying our best to recreate that and make sure that an audience could see how much pressure they were all under.
What was it like writing the series finale?
Weirdly enough, it wasn’t actually that hard to write the serious finale. I think it’s because, developing episodes one to five, it was almost like leading up to saying goodbye. It was like, knowing that your children will go off to university at some point. I already knew that I was saying goodbye to them, so it wasn’t that difficult. But the hard part was just making sure that they had a really good send off. For the audience as well because if you stuck with it for the three series, you’ve really invested, and you’ve fallen in love with these characters, so I really wanted to make sure that they had a proper send off, and I think we’ve done that.
If you had to give advice as they go off into the world, what advice would you give?
If I have to give advice to the main five characters, off the back of series one, you will need therapy at some point, because no one should be put in such a situation. Series two, I think they learned how to change and adapt, and I think that they should take that into their future selves as well. Series three, I’d probably tell them not to put so much pressure on themselves, because things always work out. They’re smart, intelligent young people so whatever they choose to be, I can guarantee that they will become that thing.
For people that are just watching Boarders now what would you say to them to get them to watch it from the start?
If you’ve not seen Boarders, I think you should watch it, because the five main leads are incredible performers. I think me and my writing team have done a really good job in writing fun, lovable, complex characters. I think even though it deals with very hard-hitting issues to do with race and class, what’s so universal about it is the fact that those five leads represent everyone. I feel like everyone’s got a bit of those people in them. I think it’s a great piece of entertainment. I think you learn something about British institutions, not just boarding schools, but British institutions in general. I think it’s a fun watch from beginning to end.
Do you have a message for the fans?
To everyone that has stuck with Boarders from the beginning. Thank you so much for all the love and support, and I really hope that you enjoy this final series, which I know that you will.
Madeleine Sinclair (Executive Producer, Creative Director for Scripted at Studio Lambert)
Tell us a bit about the show?
Boarders is about five underprivileged teens from South London who get scholarships to a very elite boarding school. It’s about how they navigate this strange world of British public schools and come out on top.
How does it feel to let these characters go?
What is nice about this being the final series is that it feels like you get to tell a complete story with a clear beginning, middle and end. We’ve tracked this group of five black teens who come into this predominantly white, very privileged world and we’ve seen them navigate that in lots of different ways. We’ve seen them come in with insecurities and deal with a lot of challenges, but we end with them ready to take on the world. So although it is sad to let these characters go, it feels good to have taken these characters on a meaningful journey and leave them as they’re about to launch into their next chapters.
What do want your viewers to feel when they finish the series?
I would love them to primarily, feel entertained – for audiences to have loved being in this space with these characters and in this world and that it’s been a really positive and joyful experience. I hope they feel satisfied with where we’ve taken these stories and optimistic about how we’re leaving these characters to take on the world. I hope audiences ultimately relate to the show and feel seen.
In this final series there’s a lot of big set changes, I’m curious to know about the crew behind it?
In series three, we’ve got a lot of big set pieces. One of them is at the beginning of episode one, where we have this giant trashing of the school by a rival school. It’s all at night. We’ve got pigs. We’ve got loads of graffiti and a ton of different locations. So, it was quite a challenge for production! To pull that off, we had a number of different departments working really closely together and collaborating. It’s a challenge from a scheduling point of view, because we had to film at night at the school – during the summer, when it doesn’t get dark until very late.
We filmed for a few hours each night – across a week – to get that very short sequence that sits at the beginning of episode one. There’s a whole load of complicated logistics and brilliant teamwork that comes together to pull something like that off. Hopefully viewers will feel like it works on screen and kicks off the new series with a bang!
Do you have a message for the fans?
To everyone who has watched Boarders, talked about Boarders, supported Boarders – a massive thank you for being part of this lovely journey. We’re really grateful for your support and really hope you enjoy series three. Tell everyone you know about it, watch it and love it!
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