Emmerdale’s Bradley Riches has responded to those who find some of Lewis Barton’s character traits annoying.
Bradley made his debut as Lewis in May 2025. Shortly after meeting his distant brother Ross Barton (Michael Parr), Lewis explained to him that he’s autistic.
Lewis’ autism was highlighted again not long after he bought Brenda Walker’s (Lesley Dunlop) shares in the café. During a shift, Lewis became overwhelmed by how busy the establishment was, and chose to listen to music and sort items out in the back as a way of calming his mind down.
When Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) learnt of Lewis’ coping technique she was incredibly understanding.
Alongside working in the café, Lewis also likes to chat to a variety of villagers including Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly), Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) and Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson). Occasionally when Lewis is having a conversation with someone, he fills gaps with laughter.
For those unaware that Lewis is masking in these particular moments, they have shared harsh comments that they are finding the character annoying. To educate, Bradley – who is autistic himself – took to Instagram to explain what autistic masking is, and why Lewis does it.
‘Some people have said the little laughs or giggles my character Lewis does in scenes are “annoying” or they don’t get it…well wonder no more because the fact is: that’s autistic masking’, he began.
‘Masking means hiding or managing natural autistic traits to fit in or meet social expectations. In customer service or café settings, autistic people often “put on a show” – smiling more, using friendly tones, or laughing after sentences (like I do in real life and Lewis does) because that’s what the job expects and what feels safest socially.
Bradley added: ‘That little laugh isn’t random. It’s a way to seem warm, to soften interactions, or to fill the gap when you’re unsure what reaction is expected. It can also help manage anxiety in the moment – a learned habit to keep the social energy going.
‘Other types of masking can include copying people’s gestures or phrases, forcing eye contacting, rehearsing lines before speaking, or hiding sensory discomfort. It’s not fake – it’s survival.
‘But it’s also exhausting, which is why understanding and acceptance matter so much.’
The post from Bradley prompted many people to share what it means for them to see Lewis on screen.
This user said: ‘You joining the show has coincided with my own late diagnosis at 38 yo. Really think it helps me as an adult to see representation so it must surely even better for kids to see. And your character is ace!’
Another wrote in agreement: ‘Well done for explaining. Not only does it explain why but you’re also raising awareness for those who don’t know these things. You could also be helping a person with autism who doesn’t know why they do it.’
Bradley also spoke about the importance in autistic representation in a soap during his chat with Metro recently.
‘I get a lot of comments and messages. It’s been a really positive reaction as time’s gone on, from parents, grandparents, autistic people and neurodiverse people themselves’, he told me, giving a small insight into the response he’s had ever since Lewis arrived.
‘I think as neurodiverse people, we’re always seeking that moment where we feel seen and to feel their identity is not something to be judged or debated. When they see an autistic neurodivergent character just living in the village, surrounded by people, having a job, creating relationship, all of these dynamics that autistic people seek, I think it’s really positive and a cool representation.
‘Everyone knows Lewis in the village. It’s a really cool representation of autism in a community space.’
When Ross discovered that Lewis existed, he seemed reluctant to meet up with the new face. He then decided to go for it, concluding he didn’t really have anything to lose.
Ross enjoyed chatting to Lewis at first, but his constant questions about mum Emma and the rest of the Barton clan left him feeling overwhelmed. His priority was to protect Moira, which meant lying to Lewis about who their mum was and how she died.
His curiosity about his new brother grew when Ross learnt that Lewis was growing cannabis plants in his loft. At this point, Ross and Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) decided to join forces to try and raise some money to give to Moira, who was struggling with farm fines.
The fact that Lewis carefully grew the plants primarily for medicinal use was completely ignored by Ross and Mack, as they decided to break into Lewis’ house and steal some of the products.
Unfortunately for the pair, Lewis had cameras in the loft, which meant he caught Mack breaking in. He locked the door, and told Ross he wouldn’t let Mackenzie out until he finds out what really happened to Emma.
It was at this point Lewis discovered that Moira Dingle murdered his mum. He thought about reporting her to the police, but Ross told his brother it would be pointless – the police probably wouldn’t believe him but even if they did, Ross would tell them about his sibling growing cannabis.
In upcoming episodes, Lewis will explore the possibility of a new romance with Vinny.
‘I think Lewis is oblivious to a lot of things. He’s definitely oblivious to there could be something more, but every so often there’s a little, ‘Ooh. I don’t know what this is.’ Vinny’s got a lot going on, working out his sexuality and his identity and becoming really close friends with Lewis’, Bradley added as he discussed the dynamic between the two characters.
‘They both have little romcom moments here and there, but it’s unknown territory at the moment – what is this? We don’t really know but we don’t want to break this friend grouping. It’s unspoken words, we don’t really know what’s happening.’
He added: ‘They’re very honest with each other, which I like. Lewis was there when he was talking about the court case and Vinny was there when Lewis was having his burnout, so they’re very honest with their feelings with each other but this is one thing they’re not honest about.
‘Maybe when they do become honest about it they might both feel the same way. It’s a weird tug-of-war at the moment, with their feelings towards each other.’
