Ashley Thomas

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05 March 2009, 16:49

Marital status: Married to Laurel
Address: Mulberry Cottage
Occupation: Vicar of Emmerdale

Ashley first appeared in December 1996. From the moment he set foot in Emmerdale, Ashley was thrown into the thick of things. He married Biff and Linda Fowler on Christmas Eve, only to hold the funeral for Linda’s brother Dave shortly afterwards.

A man of principle, Ashley is always involved in village business and is a friend and confidant to most of his parishioners, even those who aren’t members of the church.

Serious in his dedication to the church, Ashley soon found another passion in life when he started to develop feelings for Woolpack landlady Bernice Blackstock. However, she was engaged to another man, Gavin, so Ashley was forced to put his feelings aside. But the task was made more difficult by his suspicion that his love rival’s intentions weren’t all that honourable.

Oblivious to his feelings for her, Bernice continued to confide in the vicar and sought comfort when she found Gavin in bed with someone else - Jason Kirk. Friendship soon turned to love and the pair got married in a Christmas Day ceremony in 2000. When Bernice suffered a miscarriage, the couple drifted apart and she fell into the arms of her sister’s fiancé, Carlos.

When Bernice fell pregnant again, she didn’t know who the father was. Determined to keep his family together, Ashley, who proved to be baby Gabrielle’s father, forgave his wife, but things were never the same again for the couple. Unable to cope with motherhood or marriage, Bernice fled the village and left her family behind.

In 2003, Ashley started a relationship with Aussie barmaid Louise and didn’t realise that cleaner Laurel Potts was infatuated with him. He split from Louise and later realised he was in love with Laurel. It seemed like a match made in heaven and when Ashley proposed, Laurel readily accepted. However, the bishop, Ashley’s boss, refused to give his blessing and pointed out to Ashley that he’d picked so many wrong women in the past that he wanted to make sure Laurel was appropriate before he’d give his consent to the wedding.

Frustrated, the pair almost gave up, not helped by the fact that Ethan, the curate, had the hots for Laurel and was determined to break up her and Ashley. His plan nearly worked, but the couple realised what he was up to and finally convinced the Bishop that they were ready to wed.

Ashley and Laurel had a son, Daniel who was born in August 2007. Daniel died suddenly in February 2008, causing a rift between the couple. The saga took another twist when it emerged that Daniel hadn’t in fact been their son, but a mix up in the hospital meant that their real son was being raised as Arthur by their neighbours Greg and Mel Doland. After a tug of love, the Dolands eventually handed baby Arthur over to Ashley and Laurel and left the village.

Ashley almost lost his church at Christmas 2008. The villagers protested and staged a sit-in. Eventually, it was saved by the new family at Home Farm, the Wyldes, who bought the church, and Ashley kept his job.

John Middleton plays Ashley. Born in Newcastle, John enjoyed literature at an early age, triggering his ambition to act. He has starred in a string of dramas, including Prime Suspect III, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Coronation Street, two Catherine Cookson adaptations, The Round Tower and The Gambling Man. He first appeared in Emmerdale in the early ‘90s as a policeman.

Last updated: 05 March 2009, 16:51