The 69-year-old Emmerdale star looks unrecognizable with a bushy beard six years after his tragic death on the soap. Can you guess who she is?
An Emmerdale icon looks unrecognizable with a bushy gray beard, five years after making an emotional goodbye to the soap opera.
In a clip promoting the UK production of My Fair Lady, the actor sports a striking new look ahead of his portrayal of Colonel Pickering.
During his 21-year stint on the soap opera, this actor brought viewers to tears with his heartbreaking death after battling degenerative vascular dementia.
This actor has since made a brief appearance on the BBC soap Doctors in 2021 and won a Soap Award in 2018 for his poignant exit scenes.
Can you guess who it is?
Blast from the past! An Emmerdale icon looks unrecognizable with a bushy gray beard, five years after he said an emotional goodbye to the soap opera. Can you guess who he is?
It’s John Middleton, who played Ashley Thomas on Emmerdale from 1996 to 2017.
A longtime soap opera favorite, viewers were devastated when bosses revealed that John would be leaving the show after Ashley was diagnosed with dementia.
In a full-length storyline, fans watched as Ashley’s mental state slowly deteriorated, much to the devastation of her wife Laurel.
The fan-favorite couple rekindled their romance and remarried before welcoming baby daughter Dotty after Ashley shared her diagnosis.
John then appeared in a groundbreaking episode of the soap opera that showed viewers Ashley’s view of the world as she battled dementia.
His confusion and memory loss also contributed to one of the most explosive moments in soap opera history, when multiple characters were involved in an explosive car crash that left lives hanging in the balance.
In April 2017, Ashley’s health continued to decline and, in moving scenes, she passed away peacefully minutes after recognizing Laurel for the first time in months.
John briefly reprized his role as Ashley in two episodes in subsequent weeks, appearing in a dream to Laurel urging her to mourn her loss and reminiscing about his top ten moments with her.
Who is it? It’s John Middleton, who played Ashley Thomas on Emmerdale from 1996 to 2017.
Back at work: John is currently starring in the UK tour of My Fair Lady, playing Colonel Pickering, alongside former EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt.
Speaking of the scenes, actress Charlotte Bellamy said Mirror at the time: ‘It’s important to have this scene. It was really nice for the audience to see Ashley as Ashley again, to end this whole insanity story.
‘I imagine the people who have endured or had to deal with a family member all these years, have lost them, they never got to say goodbye. I imagine those people, all they wanted was to say goodbye to that person when they found out who they were.
“And smartly, that’s what Emmerdale has done, given that moment where Ashley says the things that maybe other people would want to say to that person. He’s beautiful, he’s absolutely heartbreaking, but he’s joyful.”
The 22-page script only took one take for Charlotte to film and is considered one of the most moving scenes in Emmerdale’s history.
The episode also received critical acclaim, winning Best Single Episode, Best Male Dramatic Performance, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Storyline at the 2017 British Soap Awards.