The Heartstopper of Emmerdale: Bradley Riches on playing the soap’s first neurodivergent character (EXCLUSIVE)
“The writers were very open to [hearing] how I would say things," says Bradley. "For example, in the autism community, we don’t say, ‘I have autism.’ I don’t mind, but some disagree because it’s not additional. I am autistic"
When Bradley Riches was a child, Emmerdale was perpetually playing in his grandad’s home. “He was a big fan,” the former Heartstopper star recalls. “He would always have it on the TV, and it was the only thing he would talk about.”
Riches knows first-hand the impact, companionship and conversation starters Emmerdale can prompt by being broadcast into living rooms across the country. So, it’s a full-circle moment that the young gay actor will soon be a regular on the beloved long-running ITV soap opera.
Despite an early morning on set, Riches is full of energy, wearing a bright pink shirt and matching Barbie-coloured nails. At just 23 years old, he has already made a name for himself in the landscape of British TV. You may recognise him as love interest James McEwan in the much-adored Netflix teen drama Heartstopper or the young man Louis Walsh repeatedly put up for eviction in the revived reality show Celebrity Big Brother. But more on both later.
Stepping onto Emmerdale’s set was surreal for Riches, and after keeping his casting secret for months, he’s excited to reveal more about his character. “I play Lewis Barton. He’s studying at Leeds University and related to Ross [portrayed by Michael Parr],” Riches explains with a grin. “[Lewis] has known about his brother for a while, but he finally builds up the courage to reach out to him, see if they get along and ask questions about his family.” Riches notes his introduction comes at a time of family hostility following Ross’s dramatic storylines of a baby reveal, a fake death and an acid attack before he left the show in 2018 and returned last year. Lewis meets his estranged brother in the woods (“which is kind of random”) before his arc of unravelling secrets begins, and this “brotherhood builds, falls apart and builds. It’s a rollercoaster,” says Riches.
The opportunity to join the soap emerged from a chance meeting with an Emmerdale producer Riches bumped into at the National Television Awards — he was in attendance for Celebrity Big Brother’s nomination (“We were like, ‘We’re not winning against The Traitors’”). After recording a message for the producer’s daughter, a fan of Riches, he got talking with the show’s casting department. Riches recalls: “I came to Leeds for a meeting for a different character: Dylan, who is in April’s storyline. But then the schedule didn’t work, and I thought I’d missed the opportunity.” Luckily, fate had other plans. Riches was called back in December, and after an audition and a chemistry test with Parr, he secured the part. “I felt like it was meant to be,” he notes of playing Lewis. “The personality of the character fits me so much better.”
One common thread connecting the actor and his character is that both are autistic. Riches was diagnosed as autistic at the age of nine and was non-verbal until he was 12 — acting became an outlet that helped with his self-confidence. Now, he will play the first neurodivergent Emmerdale character, and he’s focused on ensuring that it is an authentic portrayal. “The writers were very open to [hearing] how I would say things. For example, in the autism community, we don’t say, ‘I have autism.’ I don’t mind, but some disagree because it’s not additional. I am autistic.”
Riches continues to strive for more neurodivergent representation on TV screens, which ended up being an unexpected outcome from his Celebrity Big Brother appearance. “I didn’t realise I was stimming for most of the time,” he confesses, sharing that he’s received many messages from viewers who felt seen as a result of Riches simply being himself. “I wasn’t trying to be something else, and I think that’s what TV should also do. Like my [Emmerdale] character, he’s just him, and [his autism] is not really a topic. He tells Ross: ‘This is me; it’s part of who I am,’ then it doesn’t get spoken about again.”
To read the rest of this feature, check out issue 364 of Attitude magazine is available to order here, and alongside 15 years of back issues on the free Attitude app.