Lorna Dickey (previously Clarkson) was an English teacher at Waterloo Road. She was married to Tom Clarkson and was going to have his baby until she aborted it. Tom broke up with her since he had realised that he has feelings for Lorna's best friend Izzie Redpath, a drama teacher at Waterloo Road. Lorna had already once attempted to commit suicide. Soon after she reunites with Izzie and Tom she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Due to the stress of her broken marriage and multiple sclerosis, Lorna finds it too hard to cope and overdoses on her medication and drinking up a bottle of vodka, dying beside Tom and Izzie.
Series 1[]
Lorna is introduced to the first series as Tom Clarkson's fiancée, soon to be married. Tom has second thoughts on the marriage and tells Lorna that he doesn't want to be with her because he had feelings for Drama teacher and Lorna's best friend, Izzie Redpath, which Tom never told Lorna about. Lorna becomes upset and asks Izzie to talk to him, leading her to know that Tom fancies her. After Tom tells Lorna that he doesn't want to get married, she thought that she needed to change her ways, as Tom thought she was getting in the way all of the time.
Despite of this, they both still go through with the marriage, even though Tom still has feelings for Izzie. Lorna finds out that she is pregnant and decides to get an abortion as she thinks Tom doesn't care about her whether she has a baby or not. She then tells her best friend Izzie that she is having the abortion and asked Izzie if she could go with her, still knowing that Tom has feelings for her.
Lorna goes through the abortion and tells Tom that she has had a miscarriage, but Tom soon finds out that she had a abortion and is devastated. Tom wants to sort out their relationship and talk, but Lorna decides that she wants a divorce, but though they could still be friends.
When Tom and Izzie feelings grew stronger leading to them having sex, Lorna finds out when she sees Tom and Izzie kissing in the Drama classroom. Lorna then announces to the whole of the staff in the staff room that Tom and Izzie were having an affair. Lorna got angry with Izzie, leading her to smacking her.
Lorna felt betrayed by Izzie and she decided to commit suicide by jumping into the canal on Canal Street in the Gay Village in Manchester. Before jumping into the canal, Lorna sends Izzie a letter saying that she was fine with her and Tom being together and Lorna let Tom and Izzie thought that she was in Australia. In the beginning of Series 2, it shows Lorna had survived the attempted suicide because a 'lovely gay couple' jumped in and saved her.
Series 2[]
To the shock of Izzie and Tom, Lorna returns to Waterloo Road after surviving her suicide attempt and doing some soul-searching, appearing to be a completely different woman personality-wise. She also said she was looking for a new relationship.
In Series 2 Episode 2, when Roger Aspinall suspended Grantly Budgen, acting Head Andrew Treneman asked Lorna to take over as Acting Head of English. However, Jack is soon reinstated as Headteacher and welcomes Grantly back to the school before Lorna has the chance to prove herself in her new role.
Lorna forces herself to stay in Izzie and Tom's home because her bed and breakfast has been ruined by plumbing. Lorna stays there for more than 2 weeks, Tom gets sick of her and tries to force her out. But Lorna has a dizzy spell and therefore stays until she feels well enough to move into her own flat.
After having a quick fling with Andrew Treneman, during which time she becomes jealous of Andrew's relationship with Kim, Lorna is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She keeps this to herself, until she announces it to everyone in a pub, on the same night Jack Rimmer and Davina Shackleton announce their engagement.
Lorna finds it so hard to cope with her condition that she secretly decides to end her life. She invites Tom and Izzie to a fancy house where they became friends again, and in her bed, Lorna overdoses and passes in the hands of her two best friends, Tom and Izzie. She wrote a suicide note. The whole of Waterloo Road was shocked when hearing that Lorna has passed away.
Quotes[]
- "Can you tell him that we want to change table three and say I'll call him back at lunchtime? Yes, Clarkson. OK. Fine, thank you!" (First line)
- "Your foxy lady is back, and she wants her man."
- "I'll kill myself if he leaves me!"
- "The breakup of my marriage was bad enough, but I didn't expect it to be because my husband was having an affair with Izzie Redpath!"
- "I've still not found that new bloody gorgeous husband."
- "I've been a bit of a sly weasel here."
- Lorna: "Night, Iz."
- Izzie: "Night-night."
- Lorna: "Night-night, Tom."
- Izzie: "Goodnight."
- Lorna: "I love you." (Final line before her death)
- "My dearest Tom and Izzie, don't be sad. I'll be in the place that I've wanted to be for a long time." (The first lines of her suicide note)
- "Don't forget me, not ever. You were my friends, my family. You meant everything. I'll always love you. Your Lorna." (The last line of that note)