Emmerdale star Bradley Riches received support from his co-stars and fans as he addressed the ‘mean’ backlash towards his character Lewis Barton.

Bradley, 23, joined the ITV soap in May as Emma Barton’s long-lost son Lewis, who has been getting to know his half-brother Ross Barton in the village.

Lewis has been a welcome addition to the show, with fans praising Bradley’s impressive acting skills.

However, Bradley took to Instagram on Tuesday to hit back at cruel social media trolls who had been making ‘mean’ comments about his character.

Sharing some of the hurtful comments, Bradley wrote: “Thought of the evening. I’ve been messaged a lot recently to see if I’m okay after some “mean” comments regarding the character I play on @emmerdale.”, reports Leicestershire Live.

“Comments like “we need normal people — that’s why the world is twisted” or “why not have ordinary healthy strait characters” and even “why any boy wants to wear nail polish?”

“And honestly, I don’t see these as nasty comments… I see them as uneducated ones. My character is gay. He’s autistic. He wears nail polish. He hyper fixates. He gets nervous. He gets sad. He’s human.

“And for many people, this might be the first time they’ve seen someone like him on screen and that’s exactly why representation matters. The unfamiliar can feel uncomfortable at first.

“But when we show the full spectrum of real people, we help open hearts, minds and conversations. I’m proud to play a character that challenges outdated ideas of what’s “normal.” Because this is normal too – and everyone deserves to feel seen. Love Bradley x.”

Bradley’s 567K followers and ITV co-stars rallied around him in the comments section. Beth Cordingly, who plays Ruby Miligan, wrote: “Yes. And yes. And yes. And yes, to what @scottbeszick said. You are loved. X the end.

Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays Belle Dingle, commented: “You’re the best” accompanied by a star emoji, while James Moore, who plays Ryan Stocks, wrote: “I wear nail polish on Emmerdale too and get the same ridiculous compliments! ! Sorry we have style I guess” Ash Palmisciano, who plays Matty Barton, added: “You’re amazing! and someone out there really really needs to see you on screen doing your thing and smashing it! proud of you mate! Keeping shining like the star you are xxx.”

Fans also showed their appreciation, with one saying: “You are the best – love you”, another commenting: “Thank you for being you!” and a third adding: “You are just brilliant on Emmerdale keep up the good work.”