Bradley Riches is taking a short break from Emmerdale to play Peter Pan in pantomime this year, leaving Lewis Barton off-screen for a limited spell. He has already told viewers he will be back soon, which makes this a pause in the soap rather than a full exit.
Bradley Riches and the 4 weeks
“AHHAHHAA! Unlucky for you I’m just off for 4 weeks 🤪” Riches wrote earlier in the year, setting the schedule in plain terms. That is the clearest marker of how long Lewis will be away from Emmerdale while the actor moves into Pantoland and onto the stage role of Peter Pan.
He later posted that filming at Emmerdale was “a wrap for a bit before some time off and then straight into Pantoland!” and added that he was “so excited to see what’s ahead for Lewis in 2027.” Riches also said he felt “incredibly lucky” to do a job he loves and was “feeling very grateful.”
ITV releases limited cast
An ITV spokesperson said, “We’ve agreed to release a few of the actors from Emmerdale and Coronation Street to appear in pantomime this year.” The same spokesperson added, “We’ve been looking at this for a while and with plenty of notice, we’ve been able to release the actors for a limited time.”
That arrangement matters because Riches is taking time away from Emmerdale even though he has already said he will return. For viewers, the practical effect is simple: Lewis Barton disappears for now, but the character is being parked rather than written off. In soap terms, that gives the show room to keep the door open without forcing a permanent reset.
Lewis Barton after Pantoland
Riches also framed the break as part of a wider Christmas run of storylines, saying, “Christmas is coming up and things are going to be very dysfunctional – you may have Kev [Barton (Chris Coghill)], Nicola, Ross [Barton (Michael Parr)], all those amazing characters who are different and weird in their own way coming together at Christmas.”
That leaves the immediate question neatly narrowed: the soap loses Riches for 4 weeks, but not for good. The only detail still hanging over the move is which pantomime production he will join while he plays Peter Pan, and that missing piece is the one readers will be watching for next.
