Emmerdale viewers are certain they have spotted a romance blossoming between two much-loved villagers
Angie Quinn Screen Time Reporter
20:49, 20 Nov 2025
Lewis Barton experienced difficulty during Thursday’s Emmerdale episode (Image: ITV)
Emmerdale fans are convinced Lewis Barton is set for a new romance after expressing his mental health struggles.
During Thursday’s visit to the village (November 20), Lewis (Bradley Riches) was working at the café when a busy queue formed, leaving him feeling overwhelmed. Lewis is also developing a friendship with Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill), but has yet to discover that the ex-convict is his dad.
As Lewis became dizzy, he rushed home before a panic attack began to set in. Full of concern, Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) immediately followed Lewis to Dale View, where she found him in a vulnerable state.
Lewis opened up to Nicola as he struggled in Emmerdale (Image: ITV)READ MORE: Emmerdale’s Isabel Hodgins praised by fans after pregnancy updateREAD MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘work out’ who Kev will shoot and it’s not Robert or Aaron
Later in the episode, Lewis’s housemate Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) returned home to find him sleeping on the sofa. The two pals then started talking over a cup of tea as Lewis explained how his autism sometimes becomes overwhelming.
“I had an incident at work, it’s no big deal”, Lewis told Vinny, before adding, “You know, when everything gets a bit too much, I’ve had it before, and it sometimes happens when I’m under pressure.”
Lewis continued, “I just can’t cope with everything coming at me. Noises, colours, even my own heartbeat, it is like the whole world is amped up. My brain can’t cope with it, so it goes into some kind of shutdown.”
Vinny Dingle was shocked to see Lewis struggling in Emmerdale (Image: ITV)
Vinny was shocked, as he was completely unaware of the difficulties Lewis had to endure; the pair then shared an intense stare.
In a sweet gesture, Vinny quickly offered to look after his friend and made them a dinner while Lewis relaxed on the sofa.
The heartwarming scene left Emmerdale viewers hoping romance would blossom between Lewis and Vinny.
Taking to X, one person asked: “Did anyone else catch a vibe off Vinny and Lewis?”.
Vinny and Lewis shared a sweet moment during Thursday’s Emmerdale (Image: ITV)
A second confessed: “I’ve been quietly shipping Vinny and Lewis for a while now, but it’s time to stop being quiet because I think it’s finally happeninggg #emmerdale.”
A third chimed in: “They are so setting up Lewis and Vinny, aren’t they? #Emmerdale.”
“Anyone else shipping Lewis and Vinny? They would make the absolute cutest couple! (Yes, cuter than Robron). I want to see a soft, sweet, quiet gay couple just trotting about the village (let’s be real, that will never be #robron, there will always be some drama ) #emmerdale”, added another.
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX
