Where was The Teacher filmed? Hungary filming locations of Sheridan Smith Channel 5 TV series set in Bradford

Sheridan Smith’s new Channel 5 drama The Teacher – about a teacher accused of sleeping with one of her students – is set in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

However, the series didn’t actually film in Bradford, or even in the UK at all. The four-part Channel 5 drama was actually filmed in Hungary.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Teacher and where it filmed.

Where did The Teacher film?

The Teacher – which, as we’ve established, is set in Bradford – was filmed in Hungary.

Cast and crew spent six weeks shooting in Budapest, which doubled for the streets of Bradford. Some CGI touch-ups were made during aerial shots, to better line up the two skylines, but otherwise Budapest was filmed unaltered.

As Sheridan Smith explained to WalesOnline, "They found the most amazing locations to use, then they did a day of shooting rooftops in Bradford and suddenly it all links in and you don’t think it’s Budapest. They’ve done an amazing job – the magic of television!"

In case you were wondering, Bradford and Hungary are a little over 1301 miles away from one another. That’s a roughly 22 hour drive, but the flight can be made in under three hours.

Why did The Teacher film in Budapest?

As is often the case, it was about money.

Executive producer Mike Benson explained was a budgetary decision. “We had to film in Budapest for funding reasons, and the team has done a fantastic job making it look like Bradford!” explained Benson to Wales Online.

What did the cast say about filming in Budapest?

Sheridan Smith explained that it was a strange experience after lockdown, commenting “all the actors said we found the flight quite nerve-racking, because it had been two years since we had taken a plane anywhere. But once we got to Budapest all the anxiety went away, and it was a lovely job.”

Sharon Rooney, who plays another teacher, said “The Covid protocols were much the same on set as in the UK, but most things were closed in Budapest and there was a curfew. You have to stay in your room and follow the rules, so I’m just glad I had my Nintendo Switch with me – Animal Crossing helped pass a lot of time!”

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