Emmerdale is set to welcome an up-and-coming new star as a regular cast member in the Dales.
Heartstopper actor and Celebrity Big Brother star Bradley Riches has been confirmed as a new regular cast member on the long-running ITV soap. Best known for his role as James McEwan in Netflix’s hit coming-of-age drama, the actor will make his debut in soap in May, with filming already underway but details about his character are being kept tightly under wraps.
Show bosses, however, have promised more information will be revealed in the coming weeks.
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Sharing his excitement about the role, Bradley said: “I’m beyond excited to be joining Emmerdale! It’s a real bucket list moment for me, especially since it was my grandad’s favourite soap – I just know he’d be over the moon.
“Everyone has been so lovely and welcoming, and the village is even more amazing in real life. I absolutely love my character (though I can’t spill too much just yet!), and I’m just so grateful for this opportunity. I can’t wait for everyone to see what’s in store.”
Emmerdale’s executive producer Laura Shaw told Metro: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Bradley to the Emmerdale family. We have some wonderful stories for him to play, and we can’t wait for the audience to see Bradley bring his new character bursting into life on screen.”
Bradley first rose to fame in Heartstopper, where his role expanded significantly in the show’s second series, making him a fan favourite. Speaking previously about his time on the series, he told Metro: “James in the comics is only in one scene, so it’s nice to expand the character… but whenever I have a character, I always like to bring part of myself to it, as well as escaping my own self.”
The 23-year-old actor also took part in Celebrity Big Brother’s TV revival last year, where he competed alongside Coronation Street’s Colson Smith, Strictly’s Nikita Kuzmin and TV personality David Potts. He finished in sixth place following a shock eviction.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
