Overview
- The ITV soap’s ongoing storyline about contemporary exploitation reaches pivotal episodes around New Year.
- Joshua Richards, who plays Bear, described preparing for the arc as emotionally intense and said he was moved to tears.
- Producers worked with the Salvation Army, and Richards spoke with survivors to ground the depiction in real experiences.
- Recent episodes featured a tense attempt by teen characters to reach Bear at a rural work site without revealing outcomes.
- Richards praised colleagues Jaye Griffiths and Joe Absolom and noted he misses the co‑stars who have now left following the arc.