Bradley made his debut as Lewis in May of this year. Shortly after meeting his distant brother Ross Barton (Michael Parr), Lewis explained to him that he’s autistic.

Lewis’ autism was highlighted again not long after he bought Brenda Walker’s (Lesley Dunlop) shares in the café. During a shift, Lewis became overwhelmed by how busy the establishment was, and chose to listen to music and sort items out in the back as a way of calming his mind down.

When Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) learnt of Lewis’ coping technique she was incredibly understanding.

Alongside working in the café, Lewis also likes to chat to a variety of villagers including Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly), Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) and new friend Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson). Occasionally when Lewis is having a conversation with someone, he fills gaps with laughter.

For those unaware that Lewis is masking in these particular moments, they have shared harsh comments that they are finding the character annoying. To educate, Bradley – who is autistic himself – has taken to Instagram to explain what autistic masking is, and why Lewis does it.

‘Some people have said the little laughs or giggles my character Lewis does in scenes are “annoying” or they don’t get it…well wonder no more because the fact is: that’s autistic masking’, he began.

‘Masking means hiding or managing natural autistic traits to fit in or meet social expectations. In customer service or café settings, autistic people often “put on a show” – smiling more, using friendly tones, or laughing after sentences (like I do in real life and Lewis does) because that’s what the job expects and what feels safest socially.

Bradley added: ‘That little laugh isn’t random. It’s a way to seem warm, to soften interactions, or to fill the gap when you’re unsure what reaction is expected. It can also help manage anxiety in the moment – a learned habit to keep the social energy going.

‘Other types of masking can include copying people’s gestures or phrases, forcing eye contacting, rehearsing lines before speaking, or hiding sensory discomfort. It’s not fake – it’s survival.

‘But it’s also exhausting, which is why understanding and acceptance matter so much.’

The post from Bradley prompted many people to share what it means for them to see Lewis on screen.

This user said: ‘You joining the show has coincided with my own late diagnosis at 38 yo. Really think it helps me as an adult to see representation so it must surely even better for kids to see. And your character is ace!’

Another wrote in agreement: ‘Well done for explaining. Not only does it explain why but you’re also raising awareness for those who don’t know these things. You could also be helping a person with autism who doesn’t know why they do it.’

When Ross discovered that Lewis existed, he seemed reluctant to meet up with the new face. He then decided to go for it, concluding he didn’t really have anything to lose.

Ross enjoyed chatting to Lewis at first, but his constant questions about mum Emma and the rest of the Barton clan left him feeling overwhelmed. His priority was to protect Moira, which meant lying to Lewis about who their mum was and how she died.

His curiosity about his new brother grew when Ross learnt that Lewis was growing cannabis plants in his loft. At this point, Ross and Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) decided to join forces to try and raise some money to give to Moira, who was struggling with farm fines.

The fact that Lewis carefully grew the plants primarily for medicinal use was completely ignored by Ross and Mack, as they decided to break into Lewis’ house and steal some of the products.

Unfortunately for the pair, Lewis had cameras in the loft, which meant he caught Mack breaking in. He locked the door, and told Ross he wouldn’t let Mackenzie out until he finds out what really happened to Emma.

It was at this point Lewis discovered that Moira Dingle murdered his mum. He thought about reporting her to the police, but Ross told his brother it would be pointless – the police probably wouldn’t believe him but even if they did, Ross would tell them about his sibling growing cannabis.

Most recently, following the breakdown in his marriage with Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), Vinny gained two new housemates in the form of Lewis and Ross.

And it’s certainly been a chaotic few weeks for the new trio!