Actor William Rush, Known for Waterloo Road, Dies Aged 31

Actor William Rush, known for roles in Grange Hill and Waterloo Road, has died aged 31. His death occurred on December 17. The news was confirmed by his mother, actress Debbie Rush. No cause of death has been made public.

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Rush rose to prominence as a child actor on British television. He played Ali Duncan in Grange Hill from 2005 to 2007. He later starred as Josh Stevenson in the BBC drama Waterloo Road between 2009 and 2013. He also appeared in Shameless, Vera and Casualty, and had a brief role in Coronation Street in 2014.

In her statement, Debbie Rush described her son as “our beautiful baby boy” and said the family was experiencing “unimaginable grief.” She asked for privacy as relatives come to terms with the loss. She also revealed that William had chosen to become an organ donor before his death, a decision she said reflected his character. “Even in our darkest moment, William gave the most precious gift of all,” she wrote, adding that his donation had given “hope and life to other families.”

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Tributes were posted by actors who had worked with the family across British television. Coronation Street actor Sally Dynevor said she was “so shocked” by the news and described William as a “beautiful boy.” Jack P Shepherd called the death “devastating,” while Shobna Gulati said she was sending love and condolences to the family. Chelsee Healey, who appeared alongside William in Waterloo Road, wrote that her “heart breaks” for them.

Away from acting, William also explored music. In 2016, he auditioned for The X Factor, progressing to the six-chair challenge stage before being eliminated by the judges. Friends and colleagues said he was drawn to performance in different forms from an early age.

William Rush was one of three children. He was inspired to pursue acting while at school in Rochdale, where a teacher encouraged him to audition for a play. He later trained at the Manchester School of Acting, which helped him secure early television roles that led to national recognition.