'Heartstopper' Star Bradley Riches Debuts in 'Emmerdale'

Bradley Riches has officially joined Emmerdale as Lewis Barton, a new addition to the troubled Barton family. Best known from Heartstopper and Celebrity Big Brother, Riches steps into the soap world as Lewis arrives in the village looking for answers about his late mother, Emma Barton (Gillian Kearney). His appearance shocks Moira Dingle, who receives a letter from Lewis — unaware that he’s digging into the past she’d rather leave buried.

Emma, known for her chaotic and deadly history, was killed by Moira in 2017 after accidentally killing her son Finn and tearing the Barton family apart. Lewis is the half-brother of Ross, Pete, Finn, and Adam Barton. In the May 15 episode, he meets Ross in the woods, and their tense exchange begins to shift into an uneasy allianc, especially when Ross learns Lewis runs a cannabis business.

Ross proposes a partnership to help Moira’s struggling farm, tying both men into a risky new secret. But Lewis has more going on than he lets on. Bradley hinted in interviews that Lewis carries secrets of his own, which could pull Ross deeper into a web of drama. With Riches now in the cast, Emmerdale is injecting fresh tension (and a new kind of Barton energy) into the long-running soap.