Bradley Riches, who has been cast in Lewis Barton’s Emmerdale role, talks about how he is counting the days until he marries Scott Johnston.
CBB: Bradley Riches discusses his covert eviction.
Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches is about to embark on a new chapter of his career – by joining one of the biggest soaps in Britain. Making his Emmerdale debut on Monday as Lewis Barton, Bradley will be introduced to a whole new audience and, as he exclusively tells OK!, he cannot wait.
The 23-year-old is set to marry fiancé Scott Johnston next year, after a romantic proposal from Scott in Sorrento in Italy last April. Here, Bradley opens up about why they’ve had to change their original wedding plans – and how “surreal” it is hanging out with the telly icons he grew up with while watching the soap with his grandad…
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Hello, Bradley! How are Scott’s wedding plans going?
The venue is a lovely English manor house for April 20. Fun fact: we were considering getting married in Italy last year and had found a lovely location there. However, when we looked into it, we learned that same-sex couples couldn’t get married in Italy, which I didn’t know. Those plans were quickly abandoned, therefore.
You’ll need to invite a lot of famous people…
Oh I know – my Heartstopper crew, my friends from Celebrity Big Brother and I’ll probably end up inviting the whole Emmerdale cast. I’ll have been filming for over a year by then. So, yes, we’ll definitely need to expand the guest list.
Why do you and Scott collaborate so well?
We both have a strong personality, but we’re so different from one another. He delivers on point and has a brilliantly dry sense of humor. In five minutes, he will say something significant, while I could go through the entire garbage.
Congratulations on joining the Emmerdale cast!
Such a “Oh my God” moment! moment . My grandpa Peter enjoyed this soap the most. Emmerdale has always been a special place to me. Perhaps it was his final gift. He would have been buzzing all day. When my parents informed him that I had entered Emil Dale, he said, “What? ” When I went there, he said, “What? When will he appear on television?” It seems like it was planned for.
Tell us more about your persona…
I’m playing Lewis Barton – I’m a Barton boy. My mum was Emma Barton. Ross and I share the same mum. Emma was killed some years ago by Moira Dingle, who is like a second mum to Ross. I reach out to him to say I’d love to meet him and know more about my mum. But when we meet, we don’t see eye to eye. I’m very to-the-point and have a thousand questions I want answered, which scares Ross. So they really don’t create that brotherly bond and I leave. Obviously, I return! For Lewis, expect the unexpected – he’s got a few secrets up his sleeve.
Have other cast members welcomed guests?
Oh no, they do, it’s a nice family, I suppose. This program has a lot of icons. It’s completely unbelievable to bump into them on set. Michael Parr, who plays Ross, and Mike have a special relationship. Our first five weeks were just two of us. He and I are like brothers, and he is very protective of me. He says, “You’re now under my wing”! which is so lovely. Some people were a little hostile when I was revealed my role, and he said, “Nah, this is not happening. I’ve met people like Lisa Riley as time goes on. Although we haven’t yet filmed together, we are always working on makeup. She is such a fun, happy person to be around and has the best music.
What do you think about the negative feedback about your casting?
You’ve always got that to happen in this industry, which is disappointing. Some people won’t like it because I’m my true and authentic self. I was anticipating it: a happy, gay, autistic person, delighted to have a new job. Naturally, that has a negative component within it. However, a lot of optimism drowned it out. I’m having a truly amazing time. No one will stop me from having this experience.
Walking onto such a well-known set made you nervous?
I was very anxious. My first day of work involved filming at the Dingles’ home. It really hit home for me to be on that recognizable set that I’ve seen for years. I wish I had captured Lewis and Ross’s first meeting [on the first day] because it was odd to film things that weren’t in sync at first. The nerves between Lewis and Bradley might have been a fusion. I spilt my coffee down my costume as soon as the driver arrived for our first scene while we were driving to the location. Although they were so lovely, I had feared the costumers would be so enraged. That caused the nerves to relax.
Without a selfie request, you won’t be able to purchase milk soon.
Ha, I think it’s great that I’ll be introduced to a whole new demographic following Heartstopper, who have probably not seen me on-screen before. That is weird. After Celebrity Big Brother, I remember a builder stopped and said, “Ah you’re Bradley – I really wanted you to win.” Reaching new audiences is nerve-wracking but exciting too.
How did this year’s show differ from last year’s Celebrity Big Brother?
very different . There wasn’t that level of drama, which could have been the result of our excessive enjoyment. There were obvious, wonderful friendships in our series, but I couldn’t determine whether or not they were true. That bond was shared by Chris [Hughes] and JoJo [Siwa], but it wasn’t shared by anyone else. However, it was very entertaining.
What were your thoughts on Mickey Rourke?
How has this man not been expunged after watching his conversation with JoJo and the homophobia? Horrible . However, I do believe that he would have started a long learning curve if he hadn’t left. Even he inquired as to what pronouns Danny Beard needed to use. He might have opened his eyes. He deceived himself, though.
Have any burning goals in mind?
I’m learning so much on Emmerdale and it’s so fast-paced, I’m happy to be doing this. I’d love to do Strictly one day, though!
Emmerdale, Monday through Friday, 7 p.m., on ITV1 and ITVX.
