Emmerdale spoiler: Ashley Thomas makes shock RETURN in John Middleton’s final scenes
ASHLEY THOMAS made a surprise appearance in Emmerdale tonight, just days after he lost his two-year battle with dementia.
Emmerdale: Ashley says emotional goodbye to Laurel
John Middleton’s final scene played out as the long-suffering vicar said his heartbreaking goodbyes to wife Laurel Potts.
Ashley had been laid to rest earlier in the episode, and as his family and friends gathered home and reflected on the tragic day, Laurel’s demons came back to haunt her when she was faced with the temptation to hit the bottle.
However, her late husband swooped in to save the day as the ITV soap experimented with a poignant dream sequence, which saw Ashley remind Laurel of their glorious relationship.
Actress Charlotte Bellamy, who stars as Laurel, was delighted by the fitting scenes.
Ashley Thomas makes shock return in Emmerdale
It's a really clever little sequence but it's really Ashley's way of saying goodbye
“It's a really clever little sequence but it's really Ashley's way of saying goodbye,” she enthused. “I think it's important to have this scene. It's beautiful.
“We did it one take, with no breaks – it's all done on one continuous take. To do that in a studio, with somebody who is in a telly, is a huge technical triumph. I was talking to John through the telly with an ear piece. I couldn't see him, I could just hear him. It was all very cleverly staged.
"It is really a soap first. No one has ever done anything like this. It's all done once and we did it once. [Show producer] Iain [MacLeod] has been so clever at pushing the boundaries and telling the soap in a different way. And because we had to do it in one take, it gave it an edge.
Laurel Potts says goodbye to Ashley Thomas in Emmerdale
Ashley's son Henry reads at the heartbreaking funeral
"It was also nice for the audience to see Ashley as Ashley again. Emmerdale has given us that moment that other people would maybe want to say to someone they've lost. It's heartbreaking but it's joyous."
Showrunner Iain McLeod hinted a character would return for Ashley’s funeral, little did fans know the familiar face would in fact be his.