ITV bosses say they have re-evaluated rules to allow actors from Coronation Street and Emmerdale stars to take a temporary break from their shows in order to work on other projects over the festive period.

The change comes after it was revealed that Emmerdale star, Bradley Riches will be taking a short break from his role as Lewis Barton to appear in pantomime, stepping into the role of Peter Pan in The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook from December to early January.

A spokesperson for ITV said: “We’ve agreed to release a few of the actors from Emmerdale and Coronation Street to appear in pantomime this year. 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,” reports the Radio Times.

Bradley first appeared on the acting scene when he landed the role of James McEwan on the Netflix series Heartstopper back in 2022. The actor then went on to land a significant role in Emmerdale in 2025, becoming the soap’s first openly autistic and gay character, who is the half-brother to Ross Barton.

When Bradley’s casting in Emmerdale was announced, he said it was a “real bucket list moment”.

He added: “I’m beyond excited to be joining Emmerdale. It’s a real bucket list moment for me, especially since it was my grandad’s favourite soap, I just know he’d be over the moon. Everyone has been so lovely and welcoming, and the village is even more amazing in real life.

“I absolutely love my character (though I can’t spill too much just yet), and I’m just so grateful for this opportunity.”

In a statement about his return to the role of Peter Pan, the actor said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be returning to panto and especially to be playing Peter Pan again. It’s such an iconic and magical role. There’s nothing quite like the energy of a live audience at Christmas. It’s going to be a brilliant festive season – I’m so excited to get flying!”

Sunderland Empire Theatre announced Bradley’s casting on Wednesday, March 4, after hinting at their lead star with silhouette images earlier in the week. They wrote on social media: “Bradley Riches from Netflix’s Heartstopper, Emmerdale and Big Brother is flying into Sunderland this Christmas as our thrill-seeking hero, Peter Pan!”

The Celebrity Big Brother star will be joining the cast performing at the Sunderland Empire Theatre from Friday, December 11, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027.