Ashley Thomas is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by John Middleton. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 December 1996. It was announced on 22 October 2015 that Middleton would be departing as Ashley at the end of his contract after the character was diagnosed with vascular dementia in the episode aired on that day. The contract was later extended in order for the storyline to be extended. It was revealed that Ashley would be killed off at the end of the storyline. Middleton filmed his final scenes in March 2017 after his contract ended, and Ashley died on-screen on 7 April 2017, ending his 21 years on Emmerdale. Ashley appeared in further episodes in home movie scenes, making his final appearance on 13 February 2018. Ashley's storylines have included his short-lived marriage to Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) and the birth of their daughter Gabby, as well as his first and second marriages to Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) and the birth of their son Arthur, as part of a highly publicised cot death storyline in which Laurel and Ashley's adoptive baby son dies. It later transpires that their biological child is still alive as the babies were accidentally swapped at birth. Other storylines have included abusing his elderly widower father Sandy (Freddie Jones), held hostage by Declan Macey (Jason Merrells), being accidentally run over by Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) which results in his epilepsy, and being diagnosed with dementia. Ashley was involved in the October 2016 week of episodes "No Return Week", which led to the death of James Barton (Bill Ward). In November 2016, it was announced that Emmerdale would air a special episode featuring Ashley's point of view to "give people an insight into how ordinary, day-to-day experiences can become disorientating and distressing when refracted through the lens of dementia." The episode aired on 20 December 2016. Storylines Ashley becomes the new vicar of St. Mary's Church in Emmerdale arriving as the officiant of weddings, funerals, and other church services after Reverend Burns is transferred to Manchester, and he is thrown straight into a confrontation with the Dingle family over a carol singing scam. Ashley becomes attracted to barmaid Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles), but she is not impressed by his job. Ashley's feelings for Bernice grow and when she breaks up with her ex-fiancé, he eventually tells her