Yahoo News John Middleton has "no regrets" about leaving Emmerdale
As Emmerdale fans, we're still not over the tragic loss of the village's beloved Ashley Thomas, who died after a heartbreaking battle with dementia earlier this year.
John Middleton, who played Ashley, doesn't seem as fussed about it though.
As he gets set to embark on a new chapter of his career, John spoke to What's on TV about how leaving the soap was pretty much inevitable – and he's okay with that.
Related: Emmerdale star John Middleton wants to play someone "totally bad" following Ashley's exit
Although admitting that he "of course" misses Emmerdale, John insisted he has "no regrets" about deciding to take on Ashley's hard-hitting dementia storyline.
"The only thing you know about a show like Emmerdale is that one day – unless you want to still be there when you're pushing a Zimmer frame around – you'll have to go.
"You like to think you'll be able to choose your moment of departure yourself and, while that wasn't strictly the case with me, I embraced Ashley's dementia story wholeheartedly."
John in fact said that charting Ashley's illness and rapid decline was "the best story" he'd ever been given on the soap (and definitely the most emotional).
Of course, if John ever decides to make a return to Emmerdale, it is actually possible – and no, it doesn't involve playing a ghost. Thankfully.
"There's no hint of Ashley coming back as a ghost but Ashley does have a twin brother called Luke, so that could happen," the actor teased earlier this year.
We'd take that.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.
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