Bradley Riches has confirmed that Vinny Dingle, played by Bradley Johnson, will face a devastating exit from Emmerdale as the return of Kev Townsend triggers traumatic memories of his abusive father Paul Ashdale. Kev, played by Chris Coghill, arrived back in the village this week after his biological son Lewis Barton was kidnapped by Kev's ex Kylie. Kylie demanded a diamond called 'Penny' for Lewis's release, which Kev eventually returned, allowing Lewis to go home. Ross Barton told Kev to leave, but Kev later sang Boyzone's Father and Son at Dale View to claim paternity over Lewis, though Lewis rejected him.
Lewis and Kev's journey
Bradley Riches, who plays Lewis, revealed that Lewis and Kev will attempt to forge a connection. 'It's going to be a learning curve for both of them. Lewis battles in his head with his adoptive parents, they gave him so much love, they have been his parents. Now there's a new father figure on the scene, Lewis will worry that he's cheating on his parents and struggle to balance it out well,' he explained. 'He's got to learn a lot. Kev's got to learn a lot. Also you find out a lot about Kev's upbringing and why he has the potential to be a good dad. Because he doesn't want to be the father that he had, which is quite nice. There are lots of ups and downs and a lot of learning to do. In the long run, Kev will definitely get there!'
Vinny's struggle and relationship crumbling
However, this new dynamic will impact Vinny, who is reminded of his violent father Paul. Paul struggled with a gambling addiction and subjected Vinny to severe physical and psychological abuse. Vinny will struggle to communicate his feelings to Lewis, causing their relationship to start 'crumbling'. Bradley Riches said: 'Vinny is going to struggle a lot. What Vinny and Lewis have done so well as a couple, their communication has been really good. You will start to see lies, and lots of different things start crumbling. Vinny wants to please Lewis, he wants to make him happy. But in reality, if you are not happy in certain situations you should vocalise that with your partner. Vinny's going to get a lot of things built up, stuff maybe reminding him of his dad in Kev, which is quite traumatic for Vinny.'
'If Vinny spoke to Lewis, Lewis would definitely be there for Vinny because Lewis absolutely adores Vinny. Lewis would be there to support him. But Vinny goes about it the wrong way. It's going to be a really hard dynamic for Lewis to navigate. People aren't telling him the full truth but Lewis can sense that Vinny is feeling a bit traumatised.' He added: 'His past thoughts are coming back. Lewis is very to the point and very honest. Nobody is being honest because they want to keep him happy. It makes it a bit harder. Some things happen which are a big turning point in their relationship with him.'
Exit confirmed
Bradley Johnson is among cast members leaving Emmerdale this year, alongside Olivia Bromley (Dawn Taylor), Nick Miles (Jimmy King), and Caroline Harker (Doctor Caitlin Todd). Vinny's exit may see him leave the village to escape reminders of his past.
