Amid Matty Barton’s (Ash Palmisciano) terrifying prison storyline,

Emmerdale fans have been sharing their love for his cellmate Les.

Matty was sent to prison a few weeks ago after accidentally stabbing Samson Dingle (Sam Hall).

Along with most of the villagers, we know that Matty is a completely innocent

man in this ordeal, but has been made to look guilty due to

Samson and his mate Josh (Osian Morgan) spinning a horrible lie about him.

While behind bars, Matty has been fearful about other inmates discovering he is transgender,

knowing it would make him a target.

Recently though, Matty became comfortable enough to open up to his cellmate Les. He told his new friend that he is transgender and Les spent time listening to Matty to try and understand. He then warned Matty and said while he accepts his identity, other inmates won’t be as kind.

This eventually led Matty to making a devastating decision. Wanting to feel more protected, Matty asked Les to attack him so he could spend time in hospital, surrounded by the safety of doctors and nurses.

When he was in the ward, Matty was visited by Les, who had been released from prison earlier that day.

Now Les is adapting to life in the real world, it opens up the opportunity for him to visit the Emmerdale village – and it’s something fans are hoping to see.

Taking to X, this user said: ‘They should make Les a regular character once Matty comes out of prison. I liked their scenes. #Emmerdale’.

Another wrote: ‘I quite like Matty’s cell mate Les. He seems like a decent man #Emmerdale’, and this fan echoed the thoughts with: ‘I like Les, can we keep him please?’.

Les is played by actor Stacey Gough. His performance – along with John O’Neill’s (Robbo) – was praised by actor Ash recently, who shared on his Instagram: ‘The nicest prison baddie @jk0_91 i could be working with! and the best prison mate ever @goughstacey hats off to you both 👏👏🎬💙 @emmerdale @itv.’

In upcoming scenes, Samson’s stepmum Lydia (Karen Blick) is set to grow suspicious that perhaps Samson isn’t being honest, despite having originally been totally convinced by his lies. When she finally finds out the truth, actress Karen admits that Lydia is ‘hugely disappointed’.

‘There’s a scene where Samson’s released from the police station and she starts to have these niggles, these concerns and she has a conversation with Moira in the village outside and Moira is basically pleading with her: “You know the truth. You need to get Samson to admit it”.’

‘And that’s when she questions it and says, “Is what Matty says the truth?” She lays it out on the table. She says, “I love you, I believed you, I fought your corner every step of the way, but this is serious”.

‘She’s aware that Matty’s been beaten up in prison. Or she’s aware that he constructed that himself in order to get out of the situation he was in and when he goes back to prison he will be attacked.

‘She’s worried, really. It’s that wanting to protect, care for, do the right thing. In the same way as Sam does – they just go about it in very different ways.’

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