It has been confirmed that Heartstopper star Bradley Riches will be playing Ross Barton’s younger brother on Emmerdale.

It was announced last month that Riches, also known for his stint on Celebrity Big Brother, had joined the soap, but his role has only now been disclosed.

Speaking with Attitude, the actor revealed more about his Emmerdale character Lewis Barton, and how he was previously in talks for a different role on the ITV soap.

“I play Lewis Barton. He’s studying at Leeds University and related to Ross [portrayed by Michael Parr],” he said.

Riches explained Lewis has known about having a brother for a while, with his storyline kicking off when he “finally builds up the courage to reach out to him, see if they get along and ask questions about his family”.

Originally, Riches met with the Emmerdale producers to play the role of Dylan, April Windsor’s friend, but had to pass due to a scheduling conflict.

“I came to Leeds for a meeting for a different character: Dylan, who is in April’s storyline. But then the schedule didn’t work, and I thought I’d missed the opportunity,” he said.

“I felt like it was meant to be. The personality of the character fits me so much better,” he said of Lewis.

Riches also shared the news of his character’s identity on Instagram. Alongside a photo of him with Michael Parr, Riches wrote: “Hello brother… I guess good looks do run in the family.”

Like Riches, his character is autistic. The star explained to Attitude that the Emmerdale writers were supportive and open to listening in order to get the language right and portray his storyline accurately.

“The writers were very open to [hearing] how I would say things. For example, in the autism community, we don’t say, ‘I have autism,'” he said. “I don’t mind, but some disagree because it’s not additional. I am autistic.”

While autism representation is important, Riches said Lewis’s storyline won’t centre on him being autistic.

“He’s just him. And [his autism] is not really a topic,” he said. “He