One Emmerdale favourite has issued a grim warning about his character’s fate, admitting he may have reached a point of no return as the show dives deeper into its disturbing modern-slavery storyline.

Joshua Richards, who plays Bear Wolf, has opened up about next week’s “absolutely horrifying” twist — one that pushes Bear to his emotional limits and leaves viewers questioning whether the character will ever make it home again.

A Devastating Loss Leaves Bear Broken

Bear has been manipulated and exploited for months by villains Ray Walters and Celia Daniels. But the storyline takes a darker turn next week when Anya, a young woman Bear grew close to, tragically dies. Her body is dumped in a feed shed, leaving Bear devastated and confused.

“He’s absolutely horrified,” Joshua explains. “He was told by Ray — someone he trusts with his life — that everything was fine. He’s angry and disappointed, but Ray’s manipulation has been so deep that Bear almost forgives him.”

The cruelty doesn’t stop there. Ray forces Bear to dig Anya’s grave himself, leading the heart-broken character to give her a makeshift funeral.

“He sings the song he once used to comfort her,” Joshua says. “In a way, he’s singing it to himself too. It’s incredibly poignant.”

“Too Far Gone”: Bear’s Mindset Worsens

Joshua warns that Bear’s emotional and physical state is now dangerously fragile.

“He’s confused, unwell and likely drug-addled,” he says. “He doesn’t know where he is or what he’s doing. He’s too far gone at this point. In his mind, he’s already walked out the door and he’s never coming back.”

Despite an upcoming chance to escape, Bear may not take it.

“I don’t think he wants to leave,” Joshua adds. “He doesn’t want to upset anyone. Somewhere deep inside, because he feels rejected, he sees Ray almost as a surrogate son.”

Is Bear’s Exit Sealed?

Though the storyline looks bleak, Joshua hints the door isn’t fully closed.

“He will be back — because it’s a soap!” he laughs. “He’ll bounce back.”

As for how Paddy would react to seeing his father’s ordeal?

“Paddy would be absolutely horrified,” Joshua says. “I don’t think he should feel guilty — this is Bear’s doing, really — but seeing what Bear is living through would break him.”

With a horrifying death, a possible escape, and a character teetering on the edge, Emmerdale’s modern-slavery plot is only getting darker — and Bear Wolf’s future looks more uncertain than ever.