Who is Ashley Thomas actor John Middleton? Emmerdale star who left the soap after his character’s death from dementia

JOHN Middleton was a firm favourite on Emmerdale, starring on the ITV soap for 20 years.

But the actor called time on his role as likeable village vicar Ashley Thomas as his character succumbed to the dementia that he had been suffering from for two years. Here's the lowdown on him...

Why did John Middleton's departure from Emmerdale cause so much fuss?

John, 64, won a multitude of praise for his portrayal of the vicar who battled dementia.

The actor told that he had received thanks in the street from people who have been impacted by the disease - and that is the best award he could win for his acting.

In December, an entire episode was filmed through his eyes, letting viewers in on his distorted view of the world as the disease progresses.

Joining the soap in 1996, the much-loved character has faced everything from being hit by a car, losing a son to cot death and being kicked out of the church.

The end of his life was a tearjerker, with doctors telling his wife (played by Charlotte Bellamy) that there was nothing else that could be done for her husband.

Has John been in anything else?

While he's most known as Ashley, there's not many TV shows that the father-of-two HASN'T made a cameo in.

Heartbeat, Medics, The Gambling Man and Cracker all feature on his long list of credits.

Between 1993 and 1995 he made two appearances in rival soap Coronation Street, as two separate characters.

How did John feel about leaving the Dales?

Despite shedding a tear over his exit, the actor was proud of his portrayal of the disease.

He said: “I’m incredibly sad about leaving. I’m somewhat institutionalised but at the same time I’m very excited.

“We’re living through a golden age of television drama and I’m excited to go out into it.”

Describing the effects of dementia, he added: “It’s an everyday that most people don’t see because it’s hidden.

“We want to portray something people can identify with and think to themselves, ‘We’re not alone.’"

The actor feels his TV career is far from over and let slip that he's on course to appear in top ITV dramas now he's quit the soap.