Emmerdale's Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches) is currently enjoying his best spell since arriving in the village, with a strong bond with brother Ross (Michael Parr), a blossoming romance with Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson), and a growing connection with birth father Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill). But in Soapland, happiness often signals trouble ahead.
Lewis and Kev's Bond
Bradley Riches defended the relationship between Lewis and Kev, saying: 'People don't think that that Kev is good for Lewis but, Lewis is old enough to make his own decisions. They are so similar but so different. I always say it's a bit like a venn diagram. They have their differences but they come together. They are an iconic duo. I am really excited that Lewis is giving Kev the time of day to get to know him.'
He added: 'Kev has opened up about his childhood and his absent father. Kev is actually going to be a really good dad. There's a long way to go, lot of communications, but I feel like they are going to be two peas in a pod.'
Vinny's Disapproval
However, Vinny is unhappy about Kev's presence, creating friction. Bradley explained: 'Sometimes in life, you can't make everyone happy. This is the start of some trouble in paradise with Vinny and Lewis because Vinny is trying to say his feelings and Lewis is trying to listen to his feelings. But also he wants to give space for Kev. Because Lewis believes that Kev is not like Vinny's dad, but Vinny just sees his dad in him.'
'It's a hard thing for Lewis to function with and make sense of. He wants to keep everyone happy but keep himself happy too. It's going to take a lot, but this is the first little blip in their relationship, because Vinny feels like he's not being heard. Actually, Lewis is hearing him, but Vinny's harsh trauma isn't letting him see past what Lewis is saying.'
'It's becoming more adult which is nice. You usually see Lewis and Vinny have a lot of fun, so it's good to see them having tough conversations about hard traumas. I don't think It's going to break them but it will but a spanner in the works.'
Future Dramas
Bradley remains optimistic about Lewis and Vinny's future: 'Yes. They are adults and they need to have these adult conversations. You do see more maturity and communication. If anything, it's doing good for them because they need to have these conversations to make it a healthy relationship.'
He also hinted at ongoing attempts to get Vinny to accept Kev: 'The mission is going to fail. But I am going to keep trying, and keep doing it. But each time I ask, he says 'no, no, no!'. You never know, in ten years, when we are both leaving, he might say yet. Fingers crossed.'
Teasing upcoming storylines, Bradley warned: 'There will be some highs and lows, some dramas, some fights. There's going to be a lot. Lewis starts to process something, then something it happens, and it all goes back to square on. It all happens on the birthday so it's even more dramatic.'
'In the coming weeks you see Kev and Lewis bond because there's some hard stuff coming up. Lewis thought things were going to be perfect but nothing is as perfect as it seems.'
