Celebrity Big Brother's Bradley Riches, 22, opens up about his childhood diagnosis and how acting helps him 'escape' feeling 'misunderstood'

Netflix’s Heartstopper star Bradley Riches entered the Celebrity Big Brother house alongside a star-studded cast, which drew in 2.8 million viewers on Monday night.

The celebrity spin-off of the reality show last aired on Channel 5 in 2018 but was axed after its viewing figures for both the celeb and civilian series dropped.

However, the reboot has made a huge splash with the ITV viewership peaking at 3.2 million across all devices.

For the next 19 days, the actor, 22, will be living alongside the likes of Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, former X Factor judges Sharon Osbourne, Louise Walsh, and more.

As the competition kicks off, MailOnline takes a look inside the life of the gay and autistic actor hoping to represent those communities on the show.

Netflix’s Heartstopper star Bradley Riches (pictured) entered the Celebrity Big Brother alongside a star-studded cast on Monday, which drew in 2.8 million viewers last night

But who is the actor? MailOnline takes a look inside the life of the autistic and gay star hoping to represent those communities on the show

Who is Bradley Riches?

Bradley Stephen Riches was born in Surrey, England on December 11, 2001.

The 22-year-old actor is best known for portraying James McEwan in the hit international Netflix show, Heartstopper.

Bradley’s role was quite small in the beginning of the smash series, however by the second season his storyline grew substantially.

During this time, his character developed a crush on bookworm Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan), who was struggling to juggle their relationship alongside accepting his asexual identity.

Bradley, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of nine, has been entertaining audiences in on-stage productions since 2016.

Featuring in shows such as Goodnight Mister Tom, A Christmas Story: The Musical and Footloose, the actor shared that he uses his craft as a form of ‘escapism’.

He told Metro: ‘Acting is an escapism for me. I feel free and understood when playing characters when, most of the time, I felt misunderstood as Bradley.

‘I am so happy that I can show autistic people that they aren’t alone and that they aren’t invisible – they are beautiful and magical.’

The openly homosexual and autistic actor wants to ‘fly the flag’ for his respective communities in the mainstream reality TV show, a source told The Sun.

They added: ‘He was diagnosed with autism when he was nine and is passionate about being an advocate for his community.

‘He’s keen to show the world that being neurodiverse isn’t something that holds you back, it’s a superpower.’

Bradley is best-known for his role as James McEwan in Netflix hit drama Heartstopper (pictured), where his character develops a crush on Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan)

The actor has also appeared in numerous plays such as Footloose and Goodnight Mister Tom

An insider said: ‘He’s keen to show the world that being neurodiverse isn’t something that holds you back, it’s a superpower’

What has Bradley Riches done outside of acting?

In 2023, the Netflix star also officially became a published author, releasing his own novel titled A Different Kind Of Superpower.

The book, which he co-wrote with James A Lyons, tells the actor’s heart-warming personal story about being ‘gifted’ his autism diagnosis at the age of nine.

Bradley and James aimed to reframe neurodivergence as a superpower through the lens of the children’s book.

‘Everyone is different, so I really wanted to expand on my story so that as many people as possible could find themselves in some part of the character journey,’ Bradley told Vogue in 2023.

‘I actually wrote it originally as a play, which I hope one day we can actually stage.’

The actor, who has amassed a staggering 323,000 following on Instagram, sometimes gives fans a peek behind the curtain into his personal life.

The Netflix star also became a published author, releasing his own novel titled A Different Kind Of Superpower

Outside the world of acting, Bradley has written his own heart-warming children’s book about being diagnosed with autism and has also actively advocated for neurodiverse young people (pictured at Downing Street in February)

He previously headed to Number 10 to discuss youth lonliness, quipping that he had ‘met some incredible people’

Some famous faces from Big Brother 2023 took to his comment section to praise him for his advocacy, including Big Brother’s Henry Southan and Kerry Riches

In February, he went all the way down to Downing Street to raise awareness on loneliness among young people.

Posting a snap of himself on the steps of Number 10, he wrote: ‘I was kindly invited to 10 Downing Street to discuss loneliness in the youth.

‘I spoke about my own experiences being a queer autistic person and loneliness I have felt. I also met some incredible people x.’

Certain famous faces from Big Brother 2023 popped up in his comment section, with Henry Southan quipping: ‘You’ve got my vote x’

Ex-Big Brother housemate Kerry Riches also chimed in: ‘I didn’t think I could love you anymore than I do already well done darling xx.’