Emmerdale actor Joshua Richards has spoken candidly about the profound personal impact of his character Bear Wolf's harrowing modern slavery storyline, revealing it deeply upset his sister due to painful family parallels. The actor, who plays the formidable ex-wrestler, detailed how working with The Salvation Army and drawing on his own father's experiences brought a raw authenticity to the plot, which shocked viewers earlier this year.
A Storyline Close to Home
Joshua Richards explained that the emotional weight of Bear's story hit particularly close to home for his family. He disclosed a personal connection he had previously been reluctant to discuss, relating to his late father's struggles in later life.
'After talking to my sister in great depth, who's been watching this storyline, it put her in mind of my late father, who, in his later years, actually did suffer a similar kind of depression,' Richards shared. He described the pain of watching a 'big strong man' reduced to feeling redundant and without purpose, emotions he channelled into Bear's devastating journey.
Illuminating the Reality of Modern Slavery
The groundbreaking Emmerdale plot, developed in consultation with The Salvation Army, revealed how Bear—a seemingly strong and confident man—was groomed and exploited by traffickers Celia Daniels and Ray Walters. After a row with his son Paddy, a too-proud Bear ended up sleeping in his car, making him vulnerable to Ray's false kindness.
'I found it very illuminating and very humbling,' Richards said of his research with modern slavery survivors. 'These people who have been exploited are not gullible. They are bright, intelligent, and have compassion. They were shown a little kindness by unscrupulous people, and then exploited for that.'
He emphasised the story's crucial message: that exploitation can happen to anyone. 'A lot of people say, "well, I'd never be scammed". But so many people are and they are intelligent and bright. That is what we've got to be aware of.'
Justice on the Horizon for Bear
With villagers like Marlon and Moira fighting back, the end of Bear's nightmare is in sight as Celia and Ray plan to flee. Richards confirmed viewers are eagerly awaiting their comeuppance.
'I think the viewers can't wait from the feedback I've been getting... They can't wait for them to get their comeuppance,' he stated. While justice can be served swiftly in soap opera narratives, Richards noted the grim reality that such predators 'are always there, hovering in the darkness' in real society.
The actor praised his co-stars Joe Absolom and Jaye Griffiths, but concluded that the village would only benefit from their characters' demise. The storyline, which aired throughout 2025, has been praised for its sensitive handling of a difficult but prevalent issue.
