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Emmerdale airs huge Kev Townsend twist after Lewis Barton's kidnapping in early ITVX release

Warning: Contains spoilers for Monday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 7.30pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.

Chris Coghill as Kev in Emmerdale

ITV

Published: Monday, 22 June 2026 at 8:00 am

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Fan-favourite Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill) is back in Emmerdale – but it's not a happy occasion for his son, Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches).

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The two don't even realise that they're father and son, though that could be about to change.

At the end of last week's episodes, Lewis's boyfriend Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) booked them a surprise trip to Madeira. Lewis began to feel anxious over the situation, and informed him that he wouldn't be able to attend the holiday.

However, as Vinny headed off to the airport alone, he was left guilt-ridden, and following some encouragement from brother Ross (Michael Parr), decided to join him.

Lewis didn't get far, though, as before his taxi arrived, a group of masked men bundled him into the back of a van.

A masked man approaches Lewis in Emmerdale

Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches) was kidnapped. ITV

In today's episode, Ross received a worrying message about his brother, saying that he was at serious risk of harm unless his father returned someone called Penny.

After creating excuses with Vinny, saying that Lewis's phone had broke, he sought advice from Dr Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson). Ross was convinced that Lewis's adoptive dad, Jeffrey, was who the abductor was looking for – forcing Liam to confess the truth about Kev.

In the beer garden of The Woolpack, a woman named Kylie (Pippa Fulton) approached, saying that she was the one holding Lewis captive and that until Kev produced Penny, "the most precious thing in the world" to her, the situation wouldn't change.

She also stressed that it could be a matter of life or death.

Liam realised that there was only one villager who could help, and turned to Claudette Anderson (Flo Wilson) to divulge his whereabouts.

He tracked him down to a cake van on a roadside, and Ross forced him to head back to Main Street with them.

Kev confronts Ross in a scene from Emmerdale

Ross Barton (Michael Parr) tracked down Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill). ITV

Meanwhile, Lewis cowered on the bed in Kylie's house, terrified of what she might do to him.

An argument ensued at Dale View, with Kev finding much hilarity in the fact Ross thought Penny was a person. It transpired that 'she' was actually a precious diamond, something which he claimed he'd pawned some time ago.

Ross ordered him to buy it back, though as Kev stepped out of the cottage, the diamond was revealed to be around his neck.

Will he hand it over to Kylie, and free Lewis?

Read more:

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

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Authors

Michael Adams wearing a white t-shirt and beige gilet against a white background

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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