Emmerdale's troubled father and son duo Kev Townsend and Lewis Barton finally grow closer next week, but it could spell trouble for Lewis's relationship with Vinny Dingle.
Lewis and Kev's Bond Strengthens
“There have been a lot of ups and downs getting in the way of Lewis and Kev getting to know each other,” says Bradley Riches who plays Lewis. “I feel like they'll be quite an iconic duo. I'm really excited that Lewis is giving Kev the time of day, because I think Kev's going to actually be a really good dad.”
“There is a long way to go, and a lot of communication needed, but I feel like they're going to be two peas in a pod.” It was only in June that Lewis, the son of late villain Emma Barton, found out that ex-con Kev was his biological father.
As the characters continue to get to know each other, Kev (Chris Coghill) agrees to teach Lewis how to ride a bike. The only problem is Kev doesn’t know how to ride one either, and so it’s not long before he crashes to the floor.
The funny moment unites Lewis and Kev. “There’s a beautiful underlying meaning in that they understand why each other has never learned to ride a bike,” says Bradley, 24. “They both had different upbringings where no one was there to teach them. They get each other.”
Vinny's Struggle
With Lewis now loved-up with his partner Vinny Dingle, Lewis seeks reassurance from his dad about his new relationship. “Lewis is being vulnerable,” says Bradley. “He's just speaking about what's on his mind, and about something he wants to do. He feels like he's found his person with Vinny, but I think he just wants Kev to support him, and for Kev to be like, ‘Yeah, go for it, son!’”
However, Vinny, whose late father Paul Ashdale was violent and abusive, struggles to be around criminal Kev, who has been convicted of armed robbery and assault.
“Vinny’s trying to share his feelings, and Lewis listens, but also wants to give space for Kev,” explains Bradley. “Vinny just sees his dad in Kev. It's a hard thing for Lewis to try to make sense of, but this is the first little blip in their relationship. I don't think it's going to break them, but it'll definitely put a little spanner in the works.”
On-Set Fun and Improvisation
While it’s taken some time for Lewis to bond with Kev, off screen it’s a completely different story for the actors. On filming with Kev actor Chris, Bradley says, “I love working with Chris. He's just a bundle of joy, and he's brilliant and bonkers, and all the things that I just love in a human. He's an amazing actor, and I'm learning loads from him.”
“There’s also a lot of improvisation, and we all add little things that aren’t scripted. Chris' improvs are a bit more eccentric. He is just a comedic genius, and sometimes he just adds a little bit of extra spice.”
Despite their blossoming friendship, Bradley hasn’t convinced Chris to join in with his viral TikTok videos just yet. Bradley, who has over one million followers on the platform, says: “I'm going to keep trying, but each time I say TikTok he goes, ‘No! No, no, no!’ “You never know, in 10 years, or however many years we're on the show, and we're both leaving, he might say yes.”
Bradley often performs dance routines with his co-stars on social media, including Sarah Sugden actor Katie Hill and Mack actor Lawrence Robb, it’s no wonder he found recent scenes, where Kev danced to the Spice Girls, great fun to film. “I love those things,” he says. “You can just be silly. We weren't acting, we were just being ridiculous and those scenes are just so funny.”
Ruby's Request and Future Twists
Humour aside, one unexpected character that could come between Kev and Lewis is Ruby Milligan, who, next week, asks Kev to steal from Jimmy King’s business. With Kev determined to keep his life on track to make Lewis proud, he refuses. Bradley says if Kev did continue his dodgy dealings, Lewis wouldn’t be happy about it.
“Lewis will be devastated, but his trust in Kev might make him turn a blind eye,” reasons Bradley. “Lewis is very set on his morals though, so he would be upset. This is meant to be a fresh start for them, and it would show that Kev might not actually care about Lewis.”
Coming up, Lewis may need Kev more than ever, as Bradley teases big twists ahead that impact more than one villager. “There's some hard stuff coming up, especially for Lewis to process and be like, ‘What the hell is actually going on? I thought everything was going to be perfect, but nothing's as perfect as it seems.’ Kev's there for Lewis, and Kev's there for a lot of people in the village, because a lot of people get affected in the coming weeks.”
