Emmerdale Star Admits He Was “Frightened” to Tackle Heartbreaking Modern Slavery Storyline
Emmerdale is gearing up for one of its most harrowing and socially charged storylines to date, as it’s revealed what really happened to Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards). The truth behind his disappearance will uncover a shocking tale of modern slavery — a first for the long-running ITV soap — and actor Joshua Richards admits the challenge left him “frightened.”
Bear’s Disappearance Takes a Dark Turn
Fans have been wondering for months where Bear has been since he vanished from the village. Now, Emmerdale will reveal that Paddy Kirk’s father didn’t walk away by choice — he was targeted and exploited after being left vulnerable and alone.
After Paddy (Dominic Brunt) told his dad to leave, Bear had nowhere to go. Desperate and isolated, he became an easy target for a criminal network posing as a lifeline. Instead, they pulled him into a world of exploitation and control, using his trust and loneliness against him.
“It’s something that you can slip into,” Joshua Richards explained to Metro.co.uk. “If you’ve been manipulated a certain way, and being a certain age as well, where maybe you do think that you’re useless or redundant, if someone convinces you that you are worth something, that you do have some kind of currency — you can be trapped before you even realise it.”
“It Was Frightening” – Joshua Richards on the Challenge
For Joshua, the storyline felt daunting from the moment he read the scripts. “It was frightening,” he admitted. “You can be manipulated into a situation that you didn’t envisage yourself in. It’s quite fascinating, and terrifying, how these things actually happen in real life.”
Filming Bear’s ordeal required jumping between multiple timelines, showing how his life fell apart over time. “You first see Bear when he’s at rock bottom — filthy, scraggly, unkempt,” he said. “Then bit by bit, you see the journey that got him there. It was confusing to film because every day I was in a different part of his story, but it was also exciting in a strange way.”
A Shocking and Important Story
Emmerdale will dedicate a standalone episode to Bear’s experience, charting how his situation worsened as he became trapped and powerless. Viewers will also see the emotional fallout for Paddy, who is wracked with guilt when he learns what his father endured after being turned away.
Joshua believes the audience will be “furious” when they see the truth.
“They’ll be furious,” he said. “At how Bear was tricked, how Paddy turned his back on him, and how he ended up so far in that it was almost impossible to get back out.”
Exposing a Hidden Crisis
The actor also hopes the storyline will shed light on a real-world issue that often goes unseen. “It’s not just people being trafficked across borders,” he explained. “It’s the people picking your spuds, fixing your driveway, or working on your roof. You really don’t know who’s being exploited — it’s closer to home than we think.”
What’s Next for Paddy and Bear
As Paddy begins searching for his father, he faces conflicting reports — some suggesting Bear chose to disappear. But as the truth unravels, Paddy must confront not only his guilt but also the disturbing reality of how vulnerable people like Bear are lured into modern slavery.
With powerful performances and an emotional script, this storyline promises to be one of Emmerdale’s most socially resonant arcs in years.