Waterloo Road bows out in style tonight (March 9) as an emotional final episode sees the students band together for a last-ditch attempt to save the school from closure.

The show's last outing marks exactly nine years of Waterloo Road, as the popular drama first hit screens on March 9, 2006.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Rebecca Craven, who plays long-running pupil Rhiannon Salt, to get the gossip on the final ever episode.

Rebecca Craven as Rhiannon Salt in Waterloo Road
© BBC / Headstrong Pictures (WR) Ltd/Laurence Cendrowicz
Rebecca Craven as Rhiannon Salt

What can we expect from the final episode of Waterloo Road?
"It's going to be quite a tearful one, but hopefully it's a happy episode too. With the life of the school still hanging in the balance, the last episode is going to focus on how much the pupils love Waterloo Road and need it to stay. They don't want the merger.

"As the heart of the show over the last ten series has been the pupils, I think it'll be nice for the fans to hear from the kids themselves as they explain how much Waterloo Road means to them. There's a really nice scene where the kids have an assembly and they all speak about how much Waterloo Road has done for them and changed their lives."

Vaughan isn't around to steer the ship for part of the episode, so do the kids find it difficult when they have to try saving the school on their own?
"Absolutely! Darren, Rhiannon and Lenny take it upon themselves to try their best to save the school and go against what the teachers are saying by skipping lessons to focus on the campaign. They're so passionate about it - especially Rhiannon because she's been there for three years.

"The school really has changed Rhiannon as a person and has helped her to overcome her many demons. She just wants to show the PTA and the Havelock people how amazing Waterloo Road really is. Yes there's been some bad pupils in the past, but the school has helped the kids to change no matter what bad press it's had. Vaughan's not there so they have to do it themselves, and hopefully the outcome will be positive."

Will the fans be pleased with the show's ending?
"Absolutely. It wouldn't be Waterloo Road without a bit of drama, so throughout the episode it's all up in the air as to what will happen. But the fans will definitely be happy. The episode also pays homage to previous series at the end, so it'll be very tearful!"

Did you all know the ending well in advance?
"No, we just waited for the scripts to come out. There was quite a bit of speculation about how they were going to do it - would there be a massive disaster, or would it be really happy? When we got the final script, we were all really happy because we wanted the show to end on a great note and we're really proud of the last episode. There's some really great shots of the school that our director Steve Hughes has done and I've heard through the grapevine that it's going to look amazing."

Was it important to you to be there for the ending?
"I was just so honoured to be asked to be part of the last ten episodes. I was initially a bit scared thinking, 'Oh gosh, Rhiannon's been in school for quite a while now', but to be part of the last ten was amazing. Obviously Rhiannon as a character has been on a journey, but for me as an actress and a person, it's just been this massive chunk of my life which has been an amazing time. I was absolutely chuffed when they asked me back for the final ten."

You stuck around for a while longer than some of the other pupils. Were the writers big Rhiannon fans?!
"I just think I'm very lucky! (Laughs.) I'm the type of girl who just feels very happy and very lucky to be where she is. As long as you get to do something you love for a living, you should be happy. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I'm quite easy to get on with, and I'll always be on time and know my lines. I just think I'm very lucky, and obviously the writers and producers saw what a lovely time I was having over the years and that I was working very hard. I really just grabbed it by the horns and went for it for the three years. I think that's why they kept me on!"

Waterloo Road's Bonnie, Kenzie, Justin, Darren, Rhiannon and Scott
© BBC / Headstrong Pictures (WR) Ltd/Laurence Cendrowicz
Rebecca with her Waterloo Road co-stars

Did you enjoy Rhiannon's transformation from school bully to one of the most popular characters?
"Absolutely. The storylines I've had over the three years have been amazing. When I first got the job I was like, 'Wow, this character has got so many levels to her. She's like a little onion and you need to peel them off'. I really enjoyed doing the first ten episodes with the bullying, but then the self-harm storyline came out and viewers realised that Rhiannon's inner demons were the reason she was a bully. That was brilliant and then we had the little relationship with Darren and how Rhiannon dealt with that as a teenager.

"I think she's a very typical teenager, which is why the fans have grown to love her. She has got issues and she didn't want to speak up about them, but then she finally did and it's given the fans the confidence to do the same if they're in the same boat. I've had some lovely tweets from viewers about being a bully or being bullied. It's been a dream of an arc and it's nice to end it on a really nice note and see how much Rhiannon has learned and grown over the journey."

What was the atmosphere like on set when they shouted 'cut' for the final time?
"I wasn't in on the last day of filming, but there were quite a few of us who had our last scene together on the second-to-last day. It was mine, Mark's, Joe's, Georgie's, Mel's and Angus's. It was really weird because we knew it was coming to an end and we were trying not to get emotional, but then they said 'cut' and that scene was complete. We all just went 'whoa' and it felt so surreal. It was emotional and we made sure to have a little picture with the clapperboard at the end. But everyone was also really happy and proud. Obviously we were going to be sad because it was a massive part of our lives, but we were really proud of what we'd achieved."

How was the wrap party afterwards?
"That party was amazing! We all got glammed up and out of our pupil and teacher uniforms. Everyone let their hair down and celebrated what we'd achieved over the summer. Obviously we had a few drinks and danced the night away. Everyone went - from the writers, cast and crew. The heart of Waterloo Road was there."

Rhiannon and Darren kiss at the party
© BBC / Shed Productions (WR) Ltd/Alan Peebles
Rhiannon and Darren

What have you been up to since?
"I did a panto in the Lyric Hammersmith in London over Christmas, so that was a lot of fun because it was a completely different discipline to what being on a telly set is like. I finished that in the middle of January, then I went home for a couple of weeks because I hadn't really seen my family and friends for months after being in London over Christmas.

"I've moved to London now and I've been here for about three weeks, so I'm just settling in and auditioning. Now it's just doing that thing of what being an actor is really like - 99% of the time you're not in work, so I'm auditioning and meeting new people."

Would you like to do another ongoing drama role, or perhaps join a soap?
"I'd absolutely love to do anything like that. I started off in musical theatre as a kid, but the experience and exposure on Waterloo Road has made me realise how much I do love screen acting. It's something that I'd really love to focus on again, on a long-running soap or drama. Television is amazing because it's so personal to the audience as we're on your screens so often. You become a part of people's lives and that's a really cool thing."

Who have you kept in touch with since leaving?
"My best friend in the whole world is Victoria Bush who plays Sonya. I was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year and she's like a sister to me. I was recently in Newcastle visiting her. I spoke to Mark Beswick for like three hours yesterday! We all had such a massive impact on each other's lives, so we have made friends forever.

"We're also very good at supporting each other. For example, Max Bowden is in a UK tour of Birdsong at the moment and a few of us are going to try and catch him when he comes down south again. Everyone will always keep in touch with what we're doing. When I did Hairspray in Leicester last year, quite a few of the cast came to see me in that. Quite a few of them saw me in panto as well, so we're a massive family."

Did you watch EastEnders' Live Week to see Laurie Brett in action?
"Absolutely. I was obsessed with it! Laurie was absolutely amazing and they should all be so proud. It was so insane, especially that live Friday episode - I was so emotional watching that. The performances from Adam Woodyatt and Laurie were insane. I'm just so proud of her and it's just fantastic that I got to work with that lady. I've learned so much from her, and seeing her go back into EastEnders and absolutely smash it is brilliant."

You must be equally proud of Melanie Hill joining Corrie!
"Oh my God, I know! How amazing is that? She started shooting last week and that's so exciting for her. I think she's perfect for Corrie, so I'm excited to see her come on screen and see what stories are going to unfold for her."

What has Waterloo Road meant to you over the years?
"For me, it's just about how much I've learned as an actress and as a person. Over the three years, I've changed a lot and I can't thank the cast and crew enough for how supportive they've been. They've been my family and we literally lived in each other's pockets for those three years. I started the job when I was 20 and I left when I was 23, so it was a massive deal. I can't thank them enough for how much they mean to me, how much I can take from the experience and how much I can now put into my next jobs.

"I'll also just remember how much fun we had! Obviously there'd be times where it was 8am and you were freezing and tired in the playground, but you've just got to realise that when you get to do something you love for a living, that's the luckiest thing in the world. Getting up in the morning, going into work, sitting in the make-up chair and then going onto set was just the best thing ever, so I'm very grateful."