Currently, Aabay Ali is playing new regular student character Mollie ‘Mog’ Richardson, having joined the cast of Waterloo Road in Series 13, and has already filmed the future release of the next series. With Aabay working closely with a cast including Angela Griffin as head teacher Kim Campbell, Katherine Pearce as teacher Amy Spratt and Noah Valentine as student Preston Walters, Aabay can be seen in the show releasing weekly on BBC One, with all episodes in Series 13 streaming on BBC iPlayer. For Aabay’s first regular screen project, she played Charley Bates in the CBBC/BBC drama Dodger alongside Billy Jenkins in the titular role, making appearances on Blue Peter and at the 2022 BAFTA Children & Young People Awards, and in 2017, she played Aalia in the BBC TV film Diana and I. We talked to Aabay about her new regular role of student Mollie ‘Mog’ Richardson in Waterloo Road, playing Charley Bates in Dodger and filming for Diana and I as Aalia.

How has it been joining the cast of Waterloo Road for Series 13 and what has it been like seeing the response to the new episodes?

It’s been loads of fun! Bit too much at times, haha. Everyone is so welcoming and supportive, it’s really nice. I have seen nothing but love for this season and it makes me so happy knowing people want more of Mog.

You play new regular character Mollie ‘Mog’ Richardson, can you tell us about the character and what is she like to play?

Mog starts off as a moody gamer girl who was previously home schooled and is now having to get used to being in the ‘real world’. However, she has a rough start when her mentor, Preston, humiliates her in front of everyone. They resolve the issue by sharing each other’s passions and becoming unlikely friends! She’s a really interesting character for me to explore as an actress, and I relate to her in some aspects so I love being able to reflect that in my performance. I feel like she has a lot of underlying attributes that make her the way she is; thankfully, the team at Waterloo Road helped me to really expand on that to better understand her. I’m excited to see how she grows!

How did you feel finding out you’d booked the role and had you seen Waterloo Road before auditioning?

I had heard of Waterloo Road before, some of my friends and family followed it. The first audition I received was just a general self-tape where I told a short story about a prank my friends played on me in Year 3, haha. A few months later, I was called to do a workshop from which I got the audition for the part of Mog. I remember reading the character brief and getting excited to play a school refuser – I’m a well-behaved student in real life so I was looking forward to breaking a few rules!

How do you find the experience on set of the show and filming with your fellow cast members?

It was such a comforting environment. Most of the crew worked with me on Dodger so it was nice to have a few familiar faces there! The cast were such easy people to get along with too. Noah Valentine always kept me entertained with his gorgeous singing in between takes. I remember singing The Weeknd songs with him when we were sat on the gym corridor floor – it was beautiful! Kat Pearce was such a sweetheart too. Me and her fangirled about The Last Of Us together, trying not to give each other spoilers for the series every week!

What do you enjoy most about being part of Waterloo Road and what are some of your favourite highlights from filming as Mog so far?

One thing I love about being part of Waterloo Road is how friendly everyone is. I’ve made some amazing friends on this job and I’m so grateful for all the advice and support I’ve received from everyone. They’re always open to suggestions and requests, which helps me feel comfortable and confident on set. I really enjoyed filming the bus sequence from Episode 1 because it was just so funny to film with all the chaos going on! Another one would be the basketball scene at the end of Episode 2 because it took me seven tries to get the ball in the hoop. In my defence, it was unbelievably cold outside and my fingers were frozen, I’m usually a pro at basketball!

Why would you recommend watching the new series of Waterloo Road on BBC One and iPlayer?

Because I’m in it!! Just kidding. The series covers a lot of very real issues for students and teachers alike. It’s relatable but still entertaining, regardless of your age!

In the CBBC/BBC series Dodger, you play regular character Charley Bates, how would you describe Charley and what is it like getting into character?

Charley is a strong and independent girl with a fierce personality. She doesn’t feel the need to change her ways to fit in with the crowd and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Charley was a really cool dynamic to explore. Her character development throughout the series gave me so many opportunities to learn and grow in my abilities. Unravelling her story was so much fun!

What was Dodger like to work on as your first regular screen project and did you have a favourite episode to film?

The experiences I had on Dodger taught me a lot about myself and helped me to improve my acting. I loved filming the Mudlarks episode because we had all these super cool sets and locations to film in! I got to crawl around in mud for hours and had some super cool scenes with Alex Kingston, who played Lucifer. She was terrifying!

Do you have any stand-out memories from your time in the show that you can tell us about?

I remember one time when me and my co-star Billy Jenkins pranked our tutor by hiding her phone. She immediately accused Billy and spent ages looking for it at his desk. I used my amazing sleight of hand skills and slid the phone under her desk without her noticing so she never found out it was us!! I had so many funny moments like this with all of the cast – I could write a book about it!

How was it filming for Blue Peter and attending the 2022 BAFTA Children & Young People Awards?

Blue Peter was so exciting! It was my first interview experience and all I was bothered about was getting that iconic Blue Peter badge. Attending the BAFTA Children & Young People Awards was such a privilege and I’ll forever be grateful for that night. There were so many of my childhood favourite people there, I was losing my mind! I even got a picture with Mr Tumble and bragged about it for weeks. Of course, there was also the moment we actually won the award. It was such a beautiful thing knowing that all the work we put into the show was worth it in the end.

What do you remember from playing Aalia in the 2017 BBC TV film Diana and I?

I was so young when I filmed Diana and I, little eight-year-old Aabay had the time of her life though. I remember being given a Game Boy in one of the scenes and I was sat there mesmerised by that tiny box for the entirety of the scene! We had a few days of filming in London, which was an absolute blast; my first time on the underground was for a scene in the film – never been on it since!

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

My grandma was the original. She was an actress back in her day, then she passed the job to my dad, who then passed it to me! He came home one day and just asked me if I’d like to try an audition – I got the part and haven’t looked back since. I always loved performing when I was little. Always singing and dancing and always getting main parts in my school plays. When I did Diana and I, I saw it as more of a fun little hobby rather than something I’d like to pursue in the future. Over time, I’ve fallen deeper in love with the whole atmosphere of being on set, the effort and passion that goes in to different productions and the art of portraying different characters. My love for acting was always there, I just never knew how much it would grow!

What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch and how do you like to spend your free time?

My favourite films at the moment have to be the Star Wars trilogies! I’m such a nerd when it comes to Star Wars and I have no shame in admitting it anymore. I even have a lightsaber at home that I’ve taught myself some cool tricks with (in preparation for my future Star Wars project, of course). A TV show that will always have a special place in my heart is Avatar: The Last Airbender. I could still rewatch that series today and enjoy it in exactly the same way I did when I first watched it! It’s so wholesome and epic at the same time, it’s perfect.

I usually spend my free time playing video games funnily enough, much like Mog would! I’ve got a huge love for the Legend of Zelda and Mario games – or any Nintendo content really. I am an absolute beast at Mario Kart, literally anyone who has played with me would agree!!

Do you have any projects coming up that you can share and what are you hoping this year brings for you?

I haven’t got much planned for this year yet, apart from Season 14 of Waterloo Road! I hope that this year is full of success and surprises! And a role in Star Wars if possible. 😉

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