Emmerdale spoiler: John Middleton set to film his final scenes on the soap as a move into full-time care signals a heart-breaking end for dementia-sufferer Ashley
The loveable vicar is set to lose his battle with dementia after being taken into a care home
WE knew it was coming – but fans better prepare their tissues now and get ready to weep – as vicar Ashley Thomas is leaving Emmerdale.
Ever since he was given the heartbreaking dementia storyline – which has kept viewers at home gripped as his health deteriorated in front of our eyes – it was known it was only a matter of time before fate played its final hand.
Now, it has been revealed that John Middleton, who plays the ill-fated vicar, is getting ready to say a final goodbye to his Emmerdale home after twenty years playing the lovable Ashley.
The show had already extended his stay after even they couldn’t bring themselves to say goodbye to him – and now he is due to pass away in the spring, meaning he is weeks away from filming his final scenes.
But after two years of battling the disease, Ashley will finally succumb to his pain and will pass away.
This week, long-suffering wife Laurel will make the tough decision to take him to a specialist care home as she struggles to cope with his fading health.
An Emmerdale source told the Daily Star: “His condition has deteriorated so much over the last few months and he needs specialist medical care.
"We have already filmed a number of really emotional and powerful scenes showing his life inside the care home.
“There are some gut-wrenching scenes coming up between Ashley and Laurel. It’s been as much about their love story as Ashley’s condition.”
However, fans have been promised a heart-warming ending for Ashley – who is widely loved across the Dales and by viewers.
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Over the last few months viewers have seen some powerful scenes involving Ashley, including when he forgot who his wife Laurel was.
Producer Iain McLeod has teased that he was working with writers to come up with an ending that could “warm the cockles” after the emotional rollercoaster fans have been on so far.
Speaking on the soap’s social media, Iain said: “There’s an interesting episode in Ashley’s story that you’ll get to see before the summer.”
He added: “One of the things we’re trying to do between now and the summer is find ways to make this a joyful story.
“Something that really warms the cockles as well as breaking your heart.”
John also previously spoke to The Sun about the traumatic reality of playing the dementia sufferer.
The 63-year-old who joined the Yorkshire-based soap in 1996, said: “It’s watching someone diminish.
“Every aspect of this story is true and has come directly from someone we’ve spoken to who has experienced it.
“We had to do this accurately and the way you do that is from the research because we’ve always maintained that this story will come from real stories.
“Just before the story was pitched to me I did find a woman walking in Harrogate and she was obviously confused. So I said, ‘Can I just check with you where you are wanting to go?’
“I knew there was a care home at the top of the hill and I said to her, ‘I think I know where you need to go’ and that line is actually in the script that I’ve just done.”
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