Overview
- ITV said it has re-evaluated guidance that previously restricted soap actors from taking temporary outside projects.
- A spokesperson confirmed a few performers from both shows will be released for pantomime appearances this year for a limited period.
- Emmerdale actor Bradley Riches will take a short break from playing Lewis Barton to star as Peter Pan at Sunderland Empire.
- The production, The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook, runs December 11, 2026 to January 3, 2027 in Sunderland.
- Sunderland Empire announced his casting on social media, and Riches said he was delighted to return to panto.