Emmerdale star warns fan favourite is ‘too far gone’ as he addresses soap future
Emmerdale's Bear Wolf actor Joshua Richards has addressed the 'absolutely horrifying' twist next week on the ITV soap, as the show tackles modern slavery with his character
One Emmerdale favourite has teased their character could be “too far gone” (Image: ITV)
One Emmerdale favourite has teased their character could be “too far gone” as he was asked about a possible exit.
Hinting at his soap future, Bear Wolf actor Joshua Richards has teased it could be all over for his character amid a harrowing modern slavery storyline. That said, he did tease Bear could well be back in the village soon, and could “bounce back”.
Viewers have seen the character be manipulated and exploited by villains Ray Walters and Celia Daniels, and next week someone who is trapped like Bear sadly dies. Anya, a young woman who Bear had grown close to, dies in upcoming scenes, with Bear mortified when he learns her body has been discarded in a feed shed.
Speaking about the devastating twist, Bear actor Joshua said: “He’s absolutely horrified. He was told by Ray, who he trusts with his life, that everything is fine. Initially he gets angry, he’s disappointed and somewhat saddened but because he’s been manipulated heavily by Ray he almost forgives him.”
Emmerdale’s Bear Wolf actor Joshua Richards has addressed the ‘absolutely horrifying’ twist next week(Image: ITV)
Bear is told he has to dig Anya’s grave, leading to him leading her make-shift funeral. Joshua went on: “He’s initially horrified but then he is determined to make it the best he can possibly make it.
“I think for Bear it’s a very, very poignant and difficult thing to do. But of course he wanted do right by her and show her some kind of respect. He sings a little song to her, the song he comforted her with when she came back, he sings it over her grave. In a way he was singing it to himself as well.”
Joshua warned though that with Bear struggling, he may be “too far gone” where returning home and fleeing Ray and Celia is concerned. He explained: “Bear is going through a very difficult time in his life, and he’s possibly confused, not very well and he is probably drug-addled.
“He’s not knowing where he is or what he’s doing. He’s too far gone at this point, he’s decided in his mind already that he’s walked out the door and he’s never be coming back.”
Hinting at his soap future, Bear Wolf actor Joshua Richards has teased it could be all over for his character(Image: ITV)
With a chance to escape arising next week, Joshua teased whether Bear would leave Ray. He said: “I don’t think he wants to leave at all, he doesn’t want to upset anybody. He’s lost and adrift so he’s not really part of anyone’s team apart from maybe Ray.
“In a way he’s taken himself away from the love of his son and his own family, and somewhere deep within him, cos he feels rejected, he thinks of Ray as a surrogate son to him. Bear sees there is something inside of Ray that is good, of course with hindsight it’s all very well for us to say we know the reasons why, because he’s a victim of manipulation himself.”
It might not mean an exit though. “He will [be back] because it’s a soap,” he joked. “He will bounce back.” On how Bear’s father Paddy may react to his father’s ordeal, he went on: “I think Paddy will be absolutely horrified and to be honest I don’t think it would be right to say he should feel guilty, cos it’s all Bear’s doing really, but I’m sure if he saw the circumstances Bear was in he’d be absolutely horrified.”
