EMMERDALE star Bradley Riches is taking a break from the soap just a year after joining – but it’s GOOD news for ITV’s soaps cast.
The actor – who plays Lewis Barton in the ITV soap – joined the show last year as the drug-dealing son of late Emmerdale killer Emma Barton.
He had tracked his brother Ross down and introduced himself, quickly becoming central to the village.
Over the last year Lewis has gone from weed-growing dealer to a co-owner of the cafe and met his biological father in psycho gangster Kev Townsend.
More recently he’s embarked on a love affair with Vinny Dingle in a heartwarming storyline.
But now The Sun can reveal that Bradley will be taking a short break from the village.
The actor has signed up to appear in panto this Christmas in Sunderland.
He will play the title role of Peter Pan in the Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook at the Sunderland Empire.
The theatre announced the news in a statement: “A heart stopping casting reveal!
“BRADLEY RICHES from Netflix‘s Heartstopper, Emmerdale and Big Brother is flying into Sunderland this Christmas as our thrill-seeking hero, Peter Pan!
“Join us for in Neverland this festive season for sword fights, crocodile chases, and jaw-dropping stunts!”
The production will run from Friday Dec 11 2026 until Sun Jan 3 2027.
In years past actors who have signed up to panto while appearing on the ITV soaps have been forced to quit their jobs to take up the lucrative roles.
However now ITV bosses have scrapped the rule – and stars of both Emmerdale and Coronation Street will be allowed to take the high-paying roles.
A spokeswoman from the soaps told The Sun: “We’ve agreed to release a few of the actors from Emmerdale and Coronation Street to appear in pantomime this year.
“We’ve been looking at this for a while and with plenty of notice, we’ve been able to release the actors for a limited time.”
