Emmerdale actor Joshua Richards has issued a stark warning about his character's future, suggesting Bear Wolf may be 'too far gone' to return to normal life as the ITV soap tackles a harrowing modern slavery storyline.
Horrifying Twist Revealed
In devastating scenes airing next week, Bear witnesses the tragic death of Anya, a young woman he had grown close to while trapped under the manipulation of villains Ray Walters and Celia Daniels. The situation reaches new depths of horror when Bear discovers Anya's body has been discarded in a feed shed.
Joshua Richards, who plays the beloved character, described his character's reaction to the grim discovery. 'He's absolutely horrified,' the actor revealed. 'He was told by Ray, who he trusts with his life, that everything is fine. Initially he gets angry, he's disappointed and somewhat saddened but because he's been manipulated heavily by Ray he almost forgives him.'
A Heartbreaking Farewell
The emotional turmoil continues as Bear is forced to dig Anya's grave and conduct her makeshift funeral. Richards explained the poignant moment when Bear sings the same song he used to comfort her over her grave.
'He's initially horrified but then he is determined to make it the best he can possibly make it,' the actor shared. 'I think for Bear it's a very, very poignant and difficult thing to do. But of course he wanted do right by her and show her some kind of respect. He sings a little song to her, the song he comforted her with when she came back, he sings it over her grave. In a way he was singing it to himself as well.'
Is Bear Too Far Gone?
Addressing concerns about whether Bear can escape his captors, Richards delivered worrying news about his character's mental state. 'Bear is going through a very difficult time in his life, and he's possibly confused, not very well and he is probably drug-addled,' he warned.
'He's not knowing where he is or what he's doing. He's too far gone at this point, he's decided in his mind already that he's walked out the door and he's never be coming back.'
Even when an opportunity to escape arises next week, Richards suggested Bear might not take it. 'I don't think he wants to leave at all, he doesn't want to upset anybody. He's lost and adrift so he's not really part of anyone's team apart from maybe Ray.'
The actor elaborated on the complex relationship between Bear and his manipulator, noting that Bear sees Ray as a 'surrogate son' and believes there's good within him, despite the obvious exploitation.
Hope for the Future
Despite the character's dire circumstances, Richards offered hope for Bear's eventual return to the village. 'He will [be back] because it's a soap,' he joked. 'He will bounce back.'
The actor also speculated on how Bear's son Paddy would react to discovering his father's ordeal. 'I think Paddy will be absolutely horrified and to be honest I don't think it would be right to say he should feel guilty, cos it's all Bear's doing really, but I'm sure if he saw the circumstances Bear was in he'd be absolutely horrified.'
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode broadcast every Thursday.
