Emmerdale's Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches) has made the decision to flee the village after discovering that Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill) is his biological father. The revelation came after Kev returned last week, having been told by Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) that Lewis had been kidnapped by a woman named Kylie, who wanted back a diamond necklace Kev had stolen.
After Ross Barton (Michael Parr) and Liam persuaded Kev to return the necklace, Ross told Kev to leave and never come back. Ross blamed Lewis for the kidnapping, hoping to prevent Kev from re-entering his life. However, Kev ignored this and burst into Dale View, sang Father and Son by Boyzone, and announced he was Lewis's biological father.
Lewis Rejects Kev's Overtures
Unsurprisingly, Lewis was not keen on Kev's suggestion that they build a relationship. His adoptive parents have always been there for him, and he didn't understand why his biological father suddenly wanted a connection. In today's episode, Kev felt deflated but was encouraged by friends Claudette and Charles Anderson (Flo Wilson and Kevin Mathurin), who believed he could be a good father. He returned to Dale View to reiterate his desire for a relationship, but Lewis still wasn't interested.
To give himself a break from the chaos, Lewis told Kev he was off to Cleethorpes to see his 'actual dad' and hoped Kev would be gone from the village by the time he got back.
Future Reconciliation Teased
Despite the current rejection, the ITV soap has confirmed that Lewis will eventually give Kev a chance. 'It's going to be a learning curve for both of them. Lewis battles in his head with his adoptive parents, they gave him so much love, they have been his parents,' star Bradley Riches said. 'Now there's a new father figure on the scene, Lewis will worry that he's cheating on his parents and struggle to balance it out well. He's got to learn a lot. Kev's got to learn a lot. Also you find out a lot about Kev's upbringing and why he has the potential to be a good dad.'
Riches added: 'Because he doesn't want to be the father that he had, which is quite night. There are lots of ups and downs and a lot of learning to do. In the long run, Kev will definitely get there!'
Robbery Plot Looms
Emmerdale has also shared that the village cafe will be subjected to a robbery soon, and fingers are quickly pointed at Kev. He denies any involvement, but the incident could impact his relationship with Lewis just as they begin to bond.
