Emmerdale has confirmed Bradley Riches is joining the ITV soap in a mysterious new role.
Known for his role in Netflix series Heartstopper and for appearing in the last series of Celebrity Big Brother, Bradley officially started filming his first scenes in the Dales this week.
The 24-year-old will arrive on screens in May, however, soap bosses are being tight-lipped about the finer details so its currently unknown exactly who Bradley will be playing.
Speaking about the new 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.”
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He added: “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.”
The soap’s producer, Laura Shaw, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Bradley to the Emmerdale family. Bradley brings a wealth of talent and his warmth, wit and charisma makes him perfect for this new Emmerdale role.”
Teasing what’s to come, Laura shared: “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.”
In 2022, Bradley rose to fame in the teen series Heartstopper playing the part of James McEwan, which he had originally joined just as an extra, before being offered a regular role. He was also a housemate in the 2024 series of Celebrity Big Brother and finished in sixth place.
The announcement of Bradley’s character comes only days after actor Shebz Miah made his debut in the village as Kammy.
Kammy’s arrival is set to ruffle a few feathers as the actor teased his role and confessed he would be bringing “danger, romance, excitement and above all else, his inherent charm”, to Emmerdale.
During his first episode on Tuesday (March 18), he was trying to get a stolen quad bike started before getting the attention of Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) who offered to help fix it for him as the pair appeared to hit it off.
