Lisa Riley Honors Bradley Johnson After Emmerdale Exit

The departure of Bradley Johnson from ITV's Emmerdale has prompted an emotional farewell from Lisa Riley, who plays his on-screen mother, Mandy Dingle. Following Johnson's final episode on Monday night, October 12, 2026, Riley shared a personal tribute on Instagram, celebrating their relationship on set and expressing her support for his future career.

Johnson, 29, played Vinny Dingle, whose storyline ended with a 10-year prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving. The character accidentally killed Jimmy King, played by Nick Miles, and Dawn Fletcher, played by Olivia Bromley, after becoming distracted by a video call with Gabby Thomas, portrayed by Rosie Bentham, while driving.

Riley accompanied her message with a photograph of herself and Johnson on the Emmerdale set, where they posed together holding a clapperboard. Her tribute reflected the close bond they had developed while working together on the long-running ITV soap.

Riley described Johnson as both her on-screen son and a lifelong friend, recalling the experiences they had shared during his time on the show.

"My Brad….my Vinny….Mandy's ORIGINAL sweetheart….my work son….my friend for life. We've been through so much together, you will be in my life forever. May you move forward with honesty, determination, drive, excitement, and the knowledge that you have so much more to do.

Vinny has been a great chapter in your life, but now you have to go and make a full book with many many many many more Chapters. You know how missed you will be around the building-but the good news for you is, you won't hear me yelling down the corridor, 'have you seen my glasses?' 'have you got my glasses?' 'have you seen my flask?' 'have you got my flask' (sic)." Riley wrote.

The actress, 50, also recalled a playful moment with Johnson that held particular significance for her as they prepared to part ways professionally.

"I love you loads. I have memories for life-but nothing will ever beat-snogging the Dingle kitchen cupboard to make you laugh. OK now I'm crying." Riley wrote.

Johnson responded to Riley's message in the comments section of her Instagram post, emphasizing the importance of their relationship beyond the show's storyline.

"You will always be my second mam! Love ya Lisa (sic)." Johnson replied.

Bradley Riches, 24, who plays Lewis Barton in Emmerdale, also shared a farewell message on Instagram. Posting a selfie with Johnson, Riches praised their time working together and expressed enthusiasm for his colleague's next career move.

"Working with you has been nothing short of an honour - I love you Bradley. So excited for the next chapter you are about to go on (sic)." Riches wrote.

Johnson joined Emmerdale in 2019 and played Vinny for several years before his departure. The decision to remove him from the cast had been reported in May, when The Sun on Sunday cited an unnamed source discussing the production's plans to reduce its cast.

According to the newspaper's source, Johnson was popular among his colleagues and particularly close to his on-screen Dingle family. The source attributed the decision to wider production cuts, including a reduction in the number of episodes being made, which meant the show required fewer characters.