Emmerdale‘s Bradley Johnson has weighed in on the soap’s most recent tough scenes, addressing the importance of the storyline he’s playing opposite newcomer Macaulay Cooper.
On the ITV soap, Vinny has been having doubts about his sexuality but he’s keeping them a secret from fiancée Gabby Thomas. In an attempt to find answers, he started talking to people online, befriending a man named Mike.
After showing up in the village and telling Vinny there was an attraction between them, Mike revealed he’d lied all along and intended to blackmail him. He then demanded money and stole Vinny and Gabby’s wedding rings, leaving him devastated.
Fans voiced their outrage over Mike’s actions, with Johnson now speaking up on the hate crime storyline on Instagram and praising his co-star’s performance.
“Massive shoutout to @macaulaycooper for his outstanding performance! He’s an absolute top bloke off-screen, and his portrayal of Mike is👌🏻,” Johnson wrote.
ITV
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“Last night’s episode was a hard watch, but this story is crucial and has to be talked about. And it’s just the start for Vinny,” he added.
The soap star included a picture of himself with Cooper and director Marcus Lee on set.
ITV
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“This photo was taken after a long, challenging 10-scene day, which aired last night. Hats off to @marcusleetv for directing those tough scenes!”
The Mike actor responded in a comment, writing: “Legend mate! It’s been a pleasure working with you on screen and an even bigger pleasure getting to know you off screen!”
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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