Laurel & Ashley: it’s the end of an Emmerdale era
As Ashley’s beloved family gather to bid him farewell, John Middleton and Charlotte Bellamy are getting ready to do the same…
Ashley and Laurel’s front room is filled with reporters who have gathered on the Emmerdale set to talk with John Middleton (Ashley) and Charlotte Bellamy (Laurel) about Ashley’s final days. Ever since he was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, we’ve shared his emotional journey – and sadly, that journey comes to an end this week. But the mood today is buoyant, with John and Charlotte as united as Ashley and Laurel have been all these weeks. And as the pair look back on the past few months, it’s a proud and poignant moment for everyone who’s worked so hard on this outstanding storyline…
Ashley’s final story has broken new ground. How did his last scene feel?
John The whole day was extraordinary – a long goodbye, if you like. For the final scene we had a studio full of about 40 people, but there were times when you could have heard a pin drop. There was a round of applause afterwards, and I made a little speech saying how sensitive everyone had been.
Charlotte It was hard trying to pitch those scenes right. It’s been a long journey, and that was important to everyone. I just hugged John afterwards.
John, you’ve been playing Ashley for 20 years, which must make his passing even more emotional.
John I’ve spent half of my career at Emmerdale, which is a very odd feeling.
But I think I’ll only appreciate how odd later on. After two decades you get sort of institutionalised, so it will take a while to get used to it. My mother said something interesting to me a while ago. She said, “You’re going to experience something akin to grief”. And I think she’s right.
It’s been an emotional roller coaster for Laurel and Ashley. That must have taken its toll.
John It’s been demanding, yes, but I wouldn’t say tiring. There’s something deeply satisfying about it all. Any great drama is an emotional roller coaster. As actors, this is what we sign up for.
“My mother said to me, ‘You’ll experience grief’ - she’s right” JOHN
The story has prompted a huge response, and understandably so. What have you made of that?
Charlotte At the beginning we didn’t know how people would react.
John I think the main reason for people’s response is that most people have some experience of this disease.
Charlotte A woman came up to me in Sainsbury’s the other Saturday with tears in her eyes. She said,
“Thank you so much, you’ve told my husband’s story and it helps me so much”. And that’s why we do it.
John That’s an award in itself.
Making that connection is amazing.
Charlotte It’s not, “Oh, you’re that girl out of Emmerdale” any more. People want to tell you their story. A lot of them are embarrassed. But it’s important for them to come up and explain.
John We wanted to celebrate and honour the people who’ve lived with dementia, and I hope we’ve achieved that.
Have you been able to switch off away from filming?
John We both have lovely home lives. I know Charlotte’s family quite well, and Charlotte knows some of mine. That’s helped a great deal. We both have dogs, and they’re a nice distraction. I still go sailing, and I find it joyous that we’re in the middle of some of the world’s most glorious countryside.
Charlotte Yesterday is a good example of the sort of days that I’ve had. My husband is away, and I’ve got three kids at home. My eldest son has just had braces put in, and it was trauma in my house last night! I got home at 7.30 and went straight into mum mode.
That way I don’t ponder too much.
John You can’t dwell on it, and you build up an instinct with things like that. Any actor would tell you the same, I think.
While Laurel clings to the hope that Ashley might rally, she’s devastated this week after being advised to prepare for the worst. However, as she braces herself to break the news to the kids, she’s also determined that Ashley will spend his final days among his family – and insists that he make one final return to the village he loved so much.
Charlotte Ashley has pneumonia, and the doctors tell Laurel it’s near the end, so she brings him home because she doesn’t want him to die in hospital.
She doesn’t want him to be somewhere cold and clinical. She wants him to be surrounded by family, and the pictures of his life. She doesn’t know how long he has, but she knows that it’s days. So to a certain extent it’s a waiting game.
It’s going to be an incredibly emotional time for viewers, isn’t it?
Charlotte Well, we can’t say what happens, but it’s a beautiful ending.
The team have done us proud. It’s kind of life-affirming, and it’ll make your heart swell. What we’ve done really pushes the boundaries of soap.
John It’s going to be a tearjerker for everyone. Tears were pouring down everybody’s faces while we were filming it. Someone was leaning over me to check costume and make-up, and her tears were dripping on my cheek. Even the medical adviser was crying. But I’m really looking forward to watching it.
What are you going to miss most about working together?
John There’s an instinct that Charlotte brings to this. She surprises me all the time, which means my reactions when we’re working are always genuine.
Charlotte John never overplays anything. There have been moments with this storyline where John has been so brave and so heartbreaking.
It’s a quality I think is mesmerising.
Do you have a favourite storyline?
Charlotte The cot-death plot when baby Daniel died. That was such a big story.
John That was a highlight of my time here, and the best script I’ve ever read in television. I was a bit frightened of it because it’s a hell of a thing.
“People want to tell you their own dementia story” CHARLOTTE
Charlotte was absolutely phenomenal – I just turned up and joined in.
Charlotte As if!
How do you feel about not working with Charlotte any more, John?
Charlotte [laughs]: Relieved?
John It’s a small tragedy. Well, a big tragedy, actually. Sam Giles, who plays Bernice, said to me that I have to do something life-affirming after this. And I thought, ‘You’re right’. The nice thing is that Charlotte and I live in Harrogate, round the corner from one another. And there are lots of life-affirming places you can go to have coffee!
Ashley’s death is bound to affect Laurel for a long time, isn’t it?
Charlotte I think it will. Of course she still has her family, so she must be brave and carry on. She needs to survive, doesn’t she? In life, you pick yourself up and carry on. But I have no idea what she’ll do, and I haven’t even asked because in a way I don’t want to know. It’s been such an amazing story, but you feel a bit battered. And the audience must be sick of our faces!
So I’ll just take a breather.
John There’ll be more dilemmas coming for Laurel. One of the things about a show like ours is that no one lives happily ever after, because the two words that come after happily ever after are The End. And this show doesn’t end.
Will you carry on watching Emmerdale, John?
John That’s a good question. At the risk of insulting Charlotte, probably not. We’ve talked about it, but I want to take a complete break. I might dip in and out, but you’ve got to take a break. I don’t believe in looking back.
What are you planning to do next?
John Well, my wife is still working, but there are one or two trips I might make on my own. My brother lives in Ireland and I was thinking of going across to see him. I’m going to have to be careful with what I take on next, work-wise. You have to concentrate on the role you’ve got, not the one you’re going to get, so I’ve not really thought about it much. But I’ve had some great conversations with people at ITV, so if the work comes, it’s more likely to come from there.
Has John’s departure given you itchy feet, Charlotte?
Charlotte No no no! I’m still very happy at Emmerdale – for as long as they’ll have me, anyway.
John I kind of wish you did have itchy feet, because then I’d get to work with you again on something else!