Emmerdale fans left in floods of tears as Ashley dies just moments after recognising wife Laurel for the first time in months
EMMERDALE fans were left in floods of tears as Ashley recognised his wife Laurel for the first time in months just moments before he died.
Viewers were stunned by the heart-breaking scenes as the vicar finally succumbed to vascular dementia.
Ashley, played by John Middleton, has been battling the devastating condition for months and Laurel was told this week that he had just days to live.
His family and friends gathered to say goodbye in tonight's show before he passed away, and fans of the show broke down in tears as they watched the emotional ending.
The former vicar recognised his wife and said her name just moments before dying.
Laurel's smiles turned to heartbreak as she realised her husband had passed away.
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Ashley has spent months battling with crippling memory loss as the condition robbed him of his loved ones' names.
Emmerdale viewers were left devastated when he forgot his wife's name, and declared: "Who's Laurel?"
But her remembered her in his dying moments and whispered her name moments before he passed away.
The story proved too much for some viewers, who poured their hearts out on Twitter as they sobbed over Ashley's heart-breaking exit.
One wrote: "In tears watching #Emmerdale 😢 Poor Ashley @emmerdale."
Another added: "Oooh eck just had a good sob at #Emmerdale. Brilliant acting. Really hit home."
A third wrote: "Can't stop crying. I'm such an emotional mess right now 😭 #Emmerdale #ByeAshley."
Ashley's family and friends read from a memory book at his bedside
He told : "It's uncomfortable to watch yourself dying.
"But at the same time, its part of the parcel of acting because drama is about the great tragedies, the great joys and elements of life, and there’s none greater than that...
“I have to say it was beautifully written, it’s a beautiful episode to watch.”
But John revealed this week that he wouldn't be watching when the showed aired tonight.
Speaking on This Morning, he explained: "I'll be having dinner with my sister. I don't want to see myself die again. I've seen it twice already."
Opening up about the mood on set when they filmed the scene, John told Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford: "On set you could have heard a pin drop. The whole team wanted to tell and finish this story well."
He was joined on the show by co-star Charlotte Bellamy and the pair revealed how well the storyline has gone down with viewers.
The storyline has continued for around 18 months before reaching its heart-breaking conclusion this week.
- Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV at 7pm
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