Emmerdale’s Lewis Barton’s father ‘exposed’ and it’s bad news for Moira Dingle

Emmerdale’s latest addition, Lewis Barton, could be harbouring more secrets, potentially leading to further distress for Moira Dingle.

Lewis, portrayed by Bradley Riches, made his first appearance last week as Ross Barton’s previously unknown half-brother. Before his arrival, Moira discovered a letter addressed to ‘The Family of Emma Barton’.

Long-time viewers will remember that Moira was behind the demise of the villainous Emma in 2017, and she was apprehensive about handing over the letter to Ross, fearing what it might imply for her.

Despite her concerns, Moira informed Ross about the letter, prompting him to arrange a meeting with Lewis. In a woodland setting, Ross found it difficult to answer Lewis’ probing questions about their shared past without revealing the family’s disturbing secrets he’s been keeping for years.

Their discussion about past incidents proved too much for Ross, who decided to leave, dashing any hopes of reconciliation and leaving Lewis feeling rejected, reports Leicestershire Live.

However, in Monday’s episode, after several calls from Lewis, Ross had a change of heart and met with Lewis at the café.

Lewis confessed that he was aware of some of the family’s dark past due to online news reports, and continued to ask more questions.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, Moira was worried she might have to shut down the farm after 16 years because of the slurry spill clean-up costs, which the insurance company refused to cover.

Emma has been confirmed as Lewis’ mother, and soap fans believe they’ve cracked the mystery of who his father might be. One viewer took to social media to ask: “WHO DO YOU THINK LEWIS’S FATHER IS?”

In response, one user suggested: “John Barton”, while another speculated: “Maybe Emma had a affair with John Barton like moira did with James”. A different fan proposed: “John, Moira’s first husband.”

Another viewer theorised: “Moira cheated with James so why not Emma with John as revenge thing. This could be why she had Lewis adopted to hide the sin. Also explains why she never told anyone about his existence. That would make Lewis Matty’s brother rather than cousin!”

Long-time viewers will remember that Emma was consumed by vengeance after learning that Moira had an affair with her husband James Barton. This meant that Moira’s son Adam Barton’s biological father was actually James, not John Barton as everyone had assumed.

James met his end in 2016 when a jealous Emma held him captive over her resentment towards Moira. A year later, in 2017, Emma finally faced justice when, after accidentally causing the death of her son, Finn, she was pushed off the Hotten Viaduct by Moira.

In a recent interview, Bradley Riches, known for his role as Lewis, unravelled the complexities of his character’s backstory, including his connection to Emma.

He clarified of whether the two characters knew each other: “Not at all really! There was a moment where she left the family, a space of two to three years in which she had a secret child, which was me. She gave me away for adoption. I didn’t ever know her but I knew of her.

“I think that’s what made my character want to reach out to get to know her more.”

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV and ITV X at 7.30pm with an hour-long episode on Thursdays and is available to stream from 7am on ITV X.