Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Bradley Riches has proved to be a popular figure since he debuted as Lewis Barton on Emmerdale last year, and the character is now becoming more involved in the drama as his relationship with his father, Kev, is explored.
It’s certainly not been an easy ride for the pair, with Lewis torn as to whether he should let a figure like Kev into his life. Despite their differences, they have gradually developed a bond – something Riches is glad to see.
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“I am buzzing,” said the actor, who has also appeared in Heartstopper and Celebrity Big Brother. “I feel like there’s been a lot of ups, downs, trials and tribulations getting in the way of that, as people don’t think Kev is good for Lewis.”
“But Lewis is old enough to make his own decisions. They are similar but also different. It’s a bit like a Venn diagram – they’ve got their differences but they come together. I feel they will become an iconic duo,” he added.
“I’m excited that Lewis is giving Kev the time of day. Kev has opened up about his childhood and absent father, and I feel like Kev is going to be a really good dad. There’s a long way to go, but they’re going to be two peas in a pod.”
The relationship between the pair develops next week as Lewis asks Kev if he can teach him how to ride a bike, as he’d never learned as a child. Kev agrees, though there’s a slight problem as he also doesn’t know how to ride a bike.
“He wants to do the right thing and be there for Lewis,” teased Riches. “He falls off and doesn’t say it, but he obviously can’t ride a bike! There’s a beautiful underlying meaning – neither can ride a bike which is something to relate to.
“They both understand why, as nobody was there to teach them. They’re both outsiders, are a bit misunderstood and they’ve had hard upbringings, but they both get each other which is really cool.”
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Though Kev undoubtedly has a chequered past, the popular figure is enjoying his time with Lewis. But despite the pair’s bond blossoming, Riches doubts that Lewis will ever truly understand his father.
“Kev is such an unpredictable character,” said the star. “Kev is calming down, then Lewis says something and Kev’s like: ‘I’m going to make this happen for my son.’ It’s all from a place of love, but Lewis will always think: ‘Oh God, he shouldn’t have said that.'”
Throughout it all is Riches’s off-screen partnership with co-star Chris Coghill, who he described as a “bundle of joy”. He also noted that he was “brilliant” and “bonkers”, and a good teacher due to being an “amazing actor”.
While Lewis and Kev’s relationship is developed, there remains a looming sense of absence regarding Lewis’s other family members. Though the character’s adopted family is yet to appear on screen, Riches is hoping that could happen in the future.
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“I’d love for them to make an appearance one day,” he said. “There’s still a lot of question marks about his upbringing. We knew his late mum Emma, but we haven’t explored the early years of his life.”
“Why is he a Barton? Emma was a Barton by marriage, so if he was adopted why did the name get kept? Why is Lewis not going to his adopted family a lot? Is it as good as it seems? That might just be me pitching an idea! Who knows?” he teased.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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