Emmerdale actor Bradley Riches has described working with co-stars Chris Coghill and Michael Parr as a 'dream come true'. Riches plays Lewis Barton, the long-lost son of Kev Townsend (Coghill) and half-brother of Ross Barton (Parr).
Since Lewis was kidnapped and rescued, Kev and Ross have been at odds. Riches told Metro that the dynamic between the three characters is fun because they are all so different: 'Kev is the hot head, Ross can be a bit hot-headed but also a bit sly. Then you've got Lewis on the other end.'
Ross's struggle with new father figure
Riches noted that Ross will have to adjust to Kev's presence: 'Ross is just a brother and a dad to me, especially in the past year and a bit. That will be a lot for Ross to deal with. Now there's a new guy on the block who thinks he knows what is best for Lewis. When in reality, Lewis knows what's best for him.'
The feud began in June 2026 when Ross tracked down Kev to help rescue Lewis, who had been kidnapped by Kev's vengeful ex-girlfriend Kylie (Pippa Fulton). After Lewis was freed, Ross was furious when Kev stayed in the village and revealed his paternity. Ross knocked Kev unconscious during an argument, and Kev later punched Ross in a field.
Hope for reconciliation
Riches believes the conflict will last: 'They're not going to see eye to eye for a while. They both want to protect me. They both think they are right. Sometimes they are both wrong. Sometimes they are both right. It will take a while for them to both get each other.'
However, he hopes for a future truce: 'I hope in the future we can go for a drink together, all three characters, and have fun together and enjoy. You will start to see Ross warming to Kev and seeing he is not actually a bad guy. He's here to be with Lewis and to support him.'
Riches praised Coghill as 'bonkers and brilliant' and said he is learning a lot from him: 'He is a really instinctive actor. I love going with the words and working out how I am going to say it, but with him, each time he does it is different. You can bounce things off the walls and go with your instincts.'
