Christine Mulgrew joined Waterloo Road as the school's new Head of English. She arrives with her son Connor, who she suffers a difficult relationship with. Christine is a very complex character who intrigues other staff and pupils. Christine is also very damaging and is an impressive liar, however her lies and deception finally catch up with her at the expense of Imogen and Connor. She later becomes headteacher, until she relapses into her alcoholism and resigns as headteacher due to stress and the effects on her health and wellbeing. Due to her crashing her car earlier that morning, Christine was arrested that afternoon.
In Series 10, Christine continued in her previous role as a teacher of English. She later becomes Chairwoman of the PTA (Parent Teacher Association).
Christine becomes good friends with Audrey McFall, Maggie Budgen, Sonya Donnegan and Olga Fitzgerald during her time at the school.
Background
Before Waterloo Road, Christine was married to Joe Mulgrew and they lived on a small country farm with his father. Whilst residing at the farm, Joe's father raped Christine after she made a blunt comment about the muddy state he was in. The resulting incident resulted in the birth of Connor, and Joe left before he was born. We can assume this was one of the causes of her alcoholism. Christine then went on to teach in Glasgow and it is evident that she was under the influence of alcohol at this time. She then left her school in Glasgow to become an English teacher at Waterloo Road.

Series 8
Christine has a turbulent relationship with her son Connor due to her alcoholism. In Series 8 Episode 1, after she arrives at the schoolhouse drunk with Grantly Budgen, Connor immediately tries to escort her home, but she tells him to shut his face.
In Episode 2, Connor plants a vodka bottle on her desk in order to "out" her alcohol addiction. When Christine finds out it was Connor, she drunkenly interrogates him, saying he is twisted and how he wants to hurt her. Connor then accidentally starts a fire in the kitchen, but deliberately lets it grow into a larger fire before returning and pulling Christine out in time.
Upon discovering she has alcoholic hepatitis, she has to teach her whole class with alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which does not go unnoticed by her students. She constantly remarks that the windows need to be open, and throws a book across the classroom. She finally pushes Phoenix Taylor to the ground. Later on in the day Connor finds her in her classroom, sobbing and frantically breathing. He goes to her but she accidentally hits him while deliriously freaking out, which causes a deep cut on his face.
Christine develops a feud with Audrey McFall after Connor marks Christine's English coursework, which prompts Audrey to investigate. After Audrey harmlessly questions Christine's high marks, Christine files a complaint against Audrey which sparks a feud between the two. When Christine's alcoholism is discovered, Audrey is quick to help Christine recover.
In Episode 10, Christine discovers Connor and Imogen's plans to move into the schoolhouse together, and abruptly thwarts them. After a violent showdown with Connor and Imogen, she then quickly races back to Waterloo Road but is confronted by Audrey after Connor tells the entire teaching faculty about her alcohol addiction. Connor later starts a fire in the school, which Christine takes the blame for to protect him after Imogen is seriously injured. At the end of the episode, she is seen in an alcohol anonymous meeting in which she breaks down by saying that she needs help.
In Episode 11, Christine and Michael Byrne find out that they have a lot in common and the two start to talk about life. Soon their relationship grows in Episode 12 when they go on a walk as Michael finds Christine very supportive and nice to talk to because he thinks that she is very positive. Christine then accidentally drops her lesson plans in the river and Michael wades in to save them.
Then in Episode 13, Michael walks Christine home and they kiss.
Their relationship hits the rocks in Episode 14 when Christine's estranged husband Joe Mulgrew turns up out of the blue, causing Christine to have a temporary setback, which leaves Michael annoyed and announces that their relationship was a mistake. Connor gets a shock when his alleged "father" Joe turns up at the school to see Christine. Connor's hopes are raised when Joe begins to show an interest in him, little knowing that all Joe was interested in was reclaiming his recently deceased father's farmhouse that was left to Christine in his will. There is further heartbreak in store when Connor overhears his mum confiding in Michael and discovers not only that his 'paternal grandfather' had raped her, but that he was actually his biological father, making Joe his half-brother.
In Episode 15 she recovers from the setback of the previous episode, and she and Michael rekindle what they started.
A few weeks later, their relationship hits a snag when Christine thinks she is pregnant. This sends Michael into a panic and he is initially very frosty with her, causing a heartbroken Christine to decide that they weren't working, and they break up.
In Episode 19, Imogen sees Christine and Michael flirting and can tell that they want to be a couple. Imogen and Connor them set them up and send them to a restaurant for a romantic meal. In the end they do go.
In Episode 20, it's exam day, and Michael is at Christine's house. When they are kissing, Lorraine phones Michael to see where he was, but Christine answers, causing Lorraine to find out about their relationship. Michael is angry as he had wanted to keep their relationship quiet.
Later at school in the staff room, Lorraine announces the relationship to everyone, and they are all shocked but Michael instantly says they are just friends, which makes Christine upset so she walks off. He then catches up with her and tells her he did not know what to say, and she tells him that he needs to make his mind up because she does not want to keep it quiet forever.
Christine then books a holiday for her and Connor in Paris straight after his exam, unaware that he is planning to marry Imogen at the same time they are due to go on the holiday. Christine tells Michael about the holiday, and he is shocked and tells her that he will miss her, but she doesn't believe him.
Later, after Michael talks to Scout and she tells him that life is too short, he races to Christine before she leaves for Paris. Christine then gets a text from Connor saying he is not coming on the holiday, and she is annoyed until Michael turns up and kisses her in view of all the students and staff and tells her that he was an idiot but he wants to be with her and does not care who knows. She tells him she has spent £600 on a holiday nobody wants, but he says he's not sure that's true, and tells her to stop off at his to get his passport. They get into the taxi and drive away.
In Episode 25, Christine is interviewed for a head of year post at local rival school Havelock High, and gets the job, but Michael, not wanting to lose her, offers her the Head of Year 12 post at Waterloo Road instead, which she accepts.
In last few episodes of Series 8, Michael discovers Lorraine Donnegan's plans to make the school fee-paying, and resigns and breaks up with Christine, leaving her heartbroken.
In Episode 27, with Nikki Boston in place as acting headteacher (much to Christine's distaste), Lorraine announces her plans to make Waterloo Road fee-paying, and Christine leads the staff in going on strike in protest against this, causing Lorraine to have to call in supply teachers, which coincidentally include an old friend of Christine's called George Windsor. Michael returns and convinces the teachers to call off the strike.
In Episode 28, Christine is among several teachers who resign in disgust after Lorraine recklessly announces plans to turn the school into an elite 'Institute of Excellence' after Michael attempts to force her to hand the school over to the LEA. Home truths from Nikki later lead Lorraine to hand the school over to the LEA after all, and Lorraine and Michael both leave for good.
After being recommended for the post by Michael, Christine is appointed acting headteacher. In Episode 29, Christine appoints George Windsor as a permanent teacher, and is later stunned when Simon Lowsley suddenly makes his entrance and announces that he is her new deputy head having been appointed by Michael the previous week, Christine having been told nothing about this.
Episode 30, the Series 8 finale, shows Christine's skills, as when Tom Clarkson, the deputy head, dies, she works well to get the school back on its feet after the incident.
Series 9

Christine with Simon Lowsley and George Windsor
From Series 9 Episode 1, Christine and new deputy Simon Lowsley have not exactly seen eye to eye. Simon offered to do the assembly about Tom Clarkson's death but she turns down Simon's offer. The week after, Christine finds out that Simon and Sue are planning to get married, and that Sue is LEA Director of Education Robert Bain's daughter.
Christine and Simon decide to do a school council meeting to see what the pupils what at their school. Simon comes up with a money-making competition based on the Apprentice. Christine is annoyed by Simon and wants him to fail in his endeavours, and so she appoints George Windsor as a second deputy head, to put a thorn in Simon's side.
In Series 9 Episode 8, the school puts on a living history week run by Audrey, during which Robert Bain comes to see how the school is getting along. Simon and Sue make plans to get rid of Christine so that Simon can become the headteacher. They start doing a list about all the things that Christine does wrong, including what happened the week before where Sue slipped on the floor, and about Christine being aware that George Windsor is not qualified to teach Mandarin. Simon wants to make a formal complaint about Christine to Robert. Christine and Simon blame each other about things and responsibilities that go wrong.
In Episode 9, Simon rescues Lenny Brown after he is taken fishing by a supply teacher who turns out to be an impostor, and Simon gains Christine's trust.

Christine at the headteacher interview
In Episode 10, the day of Simon and Christine's interviews for the permanent headteacher post comes around. Ultimately, Simon withdraws his application and endorses Christine for the job after being seriously impressed by how she deals with the Stevie Mack situation, in which she gets Connor to open up to the Macks about his and Christine's struggles with her alcoholism, to help Stevie open up about what was troubling him. Christine gets the permanent headteacher post following this.
At Simon and Sue's wedding reception, Christine is surrounded by alcohol and everyone drunk, but she is strong enough to leave the wedding and not turn to the booze.
In Episode 11, Christine's first day in the permanent headteacher post kicks off with an argument with Simon about his new resilience scheme, and having to deal with the explosive arrival of Gabriella Wark.
In Episode 13, Connor leaves to start a new job as a kitchen porter in London, and Christine struggles to cope with his departure.
During this term, a lonely Christine becomes jealous of George's new relationship with Carol Barry, realising too late that she has feelings for him.
In Episode 17, Christine takes some time off and leaves George as acting head, which goes disastrously. When Christine returns, she demotes George, choosing to continue with only one deputy head from now on.
In Episode 18, Christine discovers that Darren Hughes has been taking inappropriate photos of girls around the school, and takes him home to see his mother Sammy. Christine is shocked to discover the very poor conditions Darren is living in, in a run-down one-bedroom flat with his heroin addict, prostitute mother. After Sammy throws Christine out of the flat, all of Christine's stresses get the better of her and she goes to the pub and starts drinking.
In Series 9 Episode 19, Christine is at home under the influence of alcohol after drinking all weekend. This was probably the first time she drank since the second term of Series 8 (though in Series 9 Episode 16, it is hinted she'd been back on the booze). She is late for a meeting with social services and a meeting with the education board goes terrible for her. She resigns as headteacher, and is investigated by Police Scotland after she drove her car to school and, still over the limit from the previous night of drinking, crashed into another vehicle and left the scene of the accident to get to school. She then starts drinking in school, and after she splashes vodka into a police officer's face, she is immediately arrested and put in a police cell. Simon is made acting headteacher until the end of term.
Imogen calls Connor and he returns from London in Episode 20 to help Christine. After she recovers, she apologises to everyone at the school, and deals with the climbing wall incident on the last day, helping the Wark family to finally realise their problems. Robert Bain wants to bar Christine from ever teaching again after her previous drunken antics, but Simon convinces him to let her stay on as an English teacher.
Series 10

Christine returned in Series 10 as a teacher of English, now living with Audrey McFall following the departure of Connor. Initially distrusted by her successor Vaughan Fitzgerald, she later gains his confidence following her handling of the death of Darren Hughes's mother. Vaughan and Christine don't always see eye to eye, as shown with the approach to mock exams in Series 10 Episode 5, when Christine is revealed to be being paid by Lenny Brown's grandfather to privately tutor Lenny, and Lenny suffers a panic attack.
There is humiliation for Christine in Episode 6 when Sonya Donnegan writes a short story about an alcoholic teacher named 'Cresta Meldrew' (blatantly based on Christine) and accidentally sends it round the school alongside some photocopying, but Christine soon forgives Sonya.
In the second half of Series 10, Christine is appointed to the additional role of PTA Chair alongside new deputy head Lorna Hutchinson.
Also during this term, Christine and George pretend to be an item in order for Christine to get out of going to the opera with Audrey.
In Series 10 Episode 18, Christine has a brief fling with Marco D'Olivera.
When Waterloo Road is threatened with a merger with Havelock High at the end of the series, Christine implies that she would be unlikely to get more than a classroom assistant job at the new Havelock. Ultimately George stops the merger, and Christine is last seen clinking with him at the ensuing celebration.
Trivia
- Christine is the fourth female headteacher in the original show, alongside Rachel Mason, Karen Fisher and Nikki Boston.
- Christine and Kim Campbell are the only headteachers to regularly appear on the show as a teacher before becoming head, and Christine is also the only headteacher to carry on working at the school after leaving the post of head.
Quotes
- "Oh, I'm so glad you accepted my application, Mr Byrne." (first line)
- "It's so good to know you have a sense of fun. You know, the teachers at my last school were a bunch of miserable sods."
- Connor: "You're not driving in that state."
- Christine: "Shut your face!"
- "I can't believe anything you say! And you wonder why I drink."
- "I told him that you're a devious selfish little weirdo that can't be trusted! Haha, I mean, what is a mother to do?"
- "I am in charge here, you little creep."
- "I hope you haven't been discussing our business again with um...Little Miss Loopy over there."
- "You know, here is my advice, Audrey. Keep that out of my business."
- "The only thing that is wrong with my son, is his filthy liar of a girlfriend!"
- "Joe...isn't Connor's father. I was raped."
- Christine: "He needs help, Michael, not a criminal record."
- Michael: "No offence, Christine, but you're not in a position to tell me anything. You could've talked to me."
- Christine: "And said what?! My son's a pyromaniac that doesn't know how to handle his mum being an alkie?!"
- Audrey: "There's more to life than work."
- Christine: "Is there? My diary's so empty I could still get a refund on it, Audrey."
- "Nothing happened. You can relax, it was a false alarm. Just like us apparently, but it's good to know you were so terrified at the prospect." (after Michael thought she was pregnant)
- "If you can't handle being seen with me then that's fine. But make your mind up, will you? I don't intend to be anyone's guilty secret."
- "I see myself as a defender of the faith. English is under assault! From incomplete sentences, dropped participles, and the omnipresent misuse of the word 'like'."
- Christine: "George Windsor."
- George: "Christine Mulgrew!"
- Christine: "I'm surprised you're not dead."
- George: "I'm surprised you're not drunk."
- Christine: "What happened to China, did they kick you out for being too right-wing?"
- "I know you probably don't want to hear it, Michael, but I love you, there, I said it, I love you. It's just a shame you're too wound up to hear it."
- "D'you think that makes it OK to treat me like this? Throw me a bone, make me headteacher, and everything'll be alright?"
- "Yeah, well, Michael's gone, and uh...I'll say it once in private - good riddance."
- "Everybody stay where you are!" (after Tom fell)
- "Good morning everyone. This was to be the last day of term. But there will be no classes today. We are here to remember Mr Clarkson, who died yesterday. Teaching was never a job for him, it was a calling, a calling that drove him to put everything, every fibre, on the line for you every day. And that is how he died. Risking his life to save a pupil. Doing the job he loved. Mr Clarkson believed in each and every one of you. He always fought your corner, went that extra mile, for you all. I guarantee, as long as there's a school called Waterloo Road, Tom Clarkson will never be forgotten. Now, it's up to you to keep his spirit alive. I ask you to honour him and what he stood for, you work hard. Look after each other. And be the very best you can be."
- Grantly: "See Mr Lowsley's lining up his allies, then. You mark my words, he's got his eye on your job."
- Christine: "Isn't there a dialysis machine missing you at home?"
- "Just call me "Hatchet Mulgrew". It's no piece of cake, this headteacher malarkey, is it? I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision. But if tough decisions have to be made, that's what I'm going to do."
- Christine: "How do you fancy a joint deputy position? Subject to the usual interview process, of course."
- George: "Joint? With Mr Lousy? Hardly a match made in heaven, is it?"
- Christine: "My thoughts exactly."
- Christine: "Where's George?"
- Simon: "I have no idea. Anything I can help you with?"
- Christine: "Not unless you speak Chinese."
- Christine: "The Year 4s were running riot in there."
- Simon: "I was covering Nikki's class, I'd only been gone 5 minutes."
- Christine: "That lot could sack Rome in 5 minutes."
- "Well, like I say, it's my chance to shine. And if that great cynic George Windsor is joining in, we'll be fine."
- "Good, because I've got a dossier the length of my arm sitting in the LA office, with your fraudulent Mandarin classes topping it."
- "Don't lecture me, Simon, you're not head yet. Although no doubt you think it's only a matter of time."
- "You know, when you first started I thought, he won't last five minutes, the kids will chew him up and spit him out. But then I saw how you were with them, setting up the Apprentice scheme, and then with the Junktion, that was great! What happened, Simon? All this...ambition. Teaching is a gift, and you've got it. Don't blow it. You better get going. Good luck, Simon. Good luck."
- Christine: "We want confident pupils at Waterloo Road. Strong wills, independent minds. Pupils who can...face challenges themselves. I won't lie to you, there are better headteachers than me. More qualified. Less emotional. But I know I can do the job, and...since I took over as acting head, I swear, I have never wanted anything so much in my entire life. To continue what we've started, and to make a real difference to the students."
- Robert: "Do you admit to, uh...personal issues?"
- Sally: "Is that relevant?"
- Christine: "No, I think it is. It's fair to say I've made mistakes. But I'm not gonna hang my head in shame. I'm not proud of some of the things I've done, but I've come through it. And I am proud of that. Am I filled with hope for the future? Yes. Do I know how hard life can be, but problems can be overcome? Definitely. And will both those things help our students overcome their problems and fulfil their dreams? You bet."
- "And here we are again. I think I preferred it when you were plotting against me, you were a lot less trouble, Simon!"
- "You're the deputy head. I'm pretty sure covering in my absence is part of your job description."
- "He's conscious, early signs are positive...he should make a full recovery!" (about Kevin after his stroke)
- Christine: "Simon will be taking over your SMT duties from now on."
- George: "Right. What? Si-?"
- Christine: "Yeah, I think I am better off with just one deputy for now."
- "I am the headteacher of this school, not some errant pupil, I will not be told to calm down, and I will be treated with respect!"
- "No, I'm gonna leave you two to your mutual appreciation society. Some of us have a school to run!"
- "I think you owe Mr Lowsley another chance. God knows, we gave your daughter enough."
- "How does he think kids pass exams, by osmosis?"
- "Lenny's mother is a drug addict, his older brother is in prison. Who is going to sit round a kitchen table with Lenny, 'fostering curiosity'?"
- Christine: "Sounds like a fair compromise to me. We could always try eradicating third-world debt while we're at it?"
- Vaughan: "Let's do that next week."
- "Ooh, very dapper, Simon. Have you and Sue got a hot date later, or is it just for my benefit?"
- Christine: "A bright-eyed, bushy-tailed deputy with no experience isn't a good idea, is it? 'Mr Fitzgerald and myself'! I mean, she's all over the place, and she's only about, what, 12?"
- Lorna: "I'm 32, actually."
- "Even middle-aged alcoholics have their moments."
- "I mean, do I look like I'd enjoy a night spent watching some overweight opera singer strangle a top C? What happened to the punk with the purple spiky hair?!"
- "Me and George? Only on April Fools' Day."
- "Have you finally taken leave of your senses, Audrey?!"
- Christine: "Did you mean to do that, or did you just miss my cheek?"
- Marco: "I meant it. You know, you're...welcome to come back to mine, if you like."
- Christine: "Well, it's either that, or cocoa and a game of Scrabble with Audrey."
- Christine: "George, what's happened to you lately? You're in serious danger of turning into a very nice man."
- George: "Rubbish."
- George: "Well, I won't hold my breath in anticipation."
- Christine: "Then maybe you could hold your breath just long enough to pass out?"
- "I take it you and Selina are...?" (final line)