ASHLEY’S TRAGIC PASSING
Emmerdale fans, prepare to weep – John Middleton has filmed his final scenes as dementia sufferer Ashley. Closer talks to John, and Charlotte Bellamy (Laurel)…
Ever since actor John E Middleton was given the heartbreaking dementia storyline – which has seen the health of vicar Ashley Thomas deteriorate before our very eyes – he’s known it was only a matter of time before he would have to bid farewell to the soap he has called his home for 20 years. This is the dreaded week when the hand of fate intervenes, and the loveable character quietly passes
away after sharing a tender moment with wife Laurel (sob!). After a short illness, Laurel has been clinging to the hope that her beloved will make a recovery – but it soon becomes clear this isn’t the case, so she brings Ashley home to his family… Away from the sadness, Moira pushes Faith to bond with Cain a bit, but she’s not prepared for the bombshell (top secret, soz!) that Faith has in store for her, Cain and Debbie… Also this week – barely five minutes after calling a truce – Vanessa discovers that sleazy Pierce HASN’T deleted his and Rhona’s sex tape (purlease!) and sets about trying to bring him down. Plus, Aaron is out of prison – hurrah! But is he going to learn about the mess Robert is in with Rebecca? If we were betting people…
So, John, you’re completely done now…? John, 63: Yes. And it (filming Ashley’s final scenes) was an extraordinary day because I was working with a lot of people I’ll never work with again – after 20 years. That’s half my career and it was an odd feeling. It was a long goodbye. I got a round of applause and I made a little speech… Charlotte (who plays Ashley’s wife, Laurel), what were the scenes like for you to film? Charlotte, 44: Really hard, actually. It’s been a long journey and the story has caused a lot of attention, so right at the end it was important for John and me to play it just right… Were you both feeling emotional? John: I think it will be a tear-jerker for everyone. When we rehearsed the scene where I die, the make-up lady was leaning over me and her tears were dripping on to my cheek. The medical adviser was crying too… Charlotte: Without giving too much away, it’s a beautiful ending. It pushes the boundaries of soap and it is kind of life-affirming too; it will make your heart swell. When they said “cut,” I gave John a hug. I’ll be bereft without him. It’s been two years since Ashley was diagnosed with dementia. has that been tiring for you? John: Demanding, yes, but not tiring. It’s been challenging but there’s been something deeply satisfying about doing it as well. I didn’t know much about dementia when the story was first pitched to me, but I’ve found the research fascinating – and now I’ve got myself thoroughly involved in some of the dementia charities and the Alzheimer’s Society. Will you both still see each other? John: It’s a big tragedy to no longer be working with Charlotte. But the nice thing is we both live in Harrogate, round the corner from one another – and there are lots of places you can go to have coffee. Plus, we both have dogs and we both like walking. I’m not actually dead…
How do you feel about how well this storyline has been received? Charlotte: A woman came up to me in Sainsbury’s recently with tears in her eyes and said: “Thank you so much – you’ve just told the story of my husband and it helps so much.” This is why we do it. John: With any drama, you want to make a connection. And if we can do that with this, then that’s fantastic. I wanted to celebrate and honour the people who’ve lived with this, and I hope we’ve achieved that. the storylines for both of you have been very intense – how do you switch off after filming? John: Funnily enough, wine comes into it – I drank a bottle after filming Ashley’s death! We both have lovely home lives (John has two grown-up sons with his wife, childhood sweetheart Christine). I have dogs and I find walking them joyous. We live in the glorious countryside; I go sailing and I do a lot of reading too… Charlotte: I’ve got three children at home (Charlotte is mum to daughter Teddie, seven, plus sons Herbie, 10, and Sunnie, 12, with husband Mungo). After filming Ashley’s final scenes, I got home and my eldest son had had braces put on his teeth. It was trauma in my house: “My life’s over!” So suddenly I’m into Mum mode and that’s what’s important.
Watch Ashley’s heart-breaking final scenes in Emmerdale from Mon 3 Apr, 7pm, ITV