Netflix star Bradley Ritches will make his debut in Emmerdale next week – but it could have been in an entirely different role after a chance encounter.

The 23-year-old, who is best known for playing James McEwan in Neflix’s teen series Heartstopper, will arrive in the village as Lewis who is the half-brother of Ross Barton.

But Lewis’ entrance is set to dredge up the past for Moira Dingle and Ross.

Ritches began filming in the Dales in March and spoke about his pride in gaining the role in the soap that was “his grandad’s favourite”.

However, it could have been a different character that Ritches appeared as in Emmerdale.

He explained to Leicestershire Live: "I came in for the role of Dylan first [the homeless teenager who supported April Windsor when she went missing], but then this role of Lewis Barton came up."

In another twist, Ritches was approached after successfully taking part in ITV's first re-boot series of Celebrity Big Brother.

The chat began when Emmerdale's boss Laura Shaw asked for a video for her daughter, who was a fan of Heartstopper.

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Recalling the interaction with Laura, he said: "I asked Laura: 'What do you do on the show?' and she said: 'I'm the producer!' I said I'd always wanted to be in a soap, Emmerdale's my granddad's favourite. Laura said: 'This is Faye, the casting director.'

"They said they'd message my agent to get me in for a meeting and I thought: 'Yeah, right, I bet they'll message my agent!' But the next week, they actually did!"

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Who is Bradley Ritches?

Born in Surrey, Riches attended drama school before Netflix's LGBTQ drama Heartstopper came calling.

After finding fame in Heartstopper, Ritches went on to compete on ITV’s first Celebrity Big Brother series in 2024, being voted out in sixth place just one day before the final.

Riches' has spoken openly about being autistic and how the world can feel “chaotic”.