William Rush, Waterloo Road Actor, Dies Aged 31

Former Waterloo Road actor William Rush has died at the age of 31.

William was best known for his work as Josh Stevenson in the long-running BBC school drama, playing the character for four seasons between 2009 and 2013.

His mother, soap actor Debbie Rush, shared the news on Instagram on Thursday morning, writing that her “beautiful baby boy” had died the previous day.

“As a family, our hearts are completely broken, and there are no words that can truly capture the depth of our loss,” she wrote.

“Even in our darkest moment, William gave the most precious gift of all. Through being an organ donor, he has given hope and life to other families, thinking of others right to the very end. His kindness and love will forever be part of his legacy.”

She added: “We kindly ask that our privacy be respected as we navigate this unimaginable grief. William will always be loved, always missed, and forever in our hearts.”

Debbie signed off her message using the hashtag “#bekind”.

William began his career as a child actor, appearing in shows like Grange Hill and Shameless before landing the role of Josh in Waterloo Road.

Throughout his time in the series, William’s character, Josh, was involved in several of the show’s major storylines, including coming to terms with his sexuality, issues with drug addiction and his mental health.

He also appeared in Coronation Street, the same soap in which his mum starred as Anna Windass, and the ITV detective drama in 2014.

William was also a musician and singer, appearing on the talent search The X Factor in 2016, making it through to the infamous “six chair challenge” stage, before being cast in the Australian miniseries Friday On My Mind as the musician George Young, which marked his final on-screen role.