John Middleton (actor)

John Middleton
Born	(1953-09-07) 7 September 1953 (age 72) Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Christine Middleton ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	2

John Middleton (born 7 September 1953) is an English actor, known for his role as Ashley Thomas in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale . Middleton played the role from 1996 to 2018. For his portrayal of Ashley, he won the British Soap Awards for Best Actor and Best Dramatic Performance in 2017. In 2025, he joined the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Froggy Black.

Career

Middleton began his acting career with various appearances and guest stints on British television series and films. In 1990 and 1995, he made appearances in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside . ^[1] Then in 1993 and 1995, he guest starred on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street , in the roles of John Hargreaves and Mr. Mitchell, respectively. ^[2] In 1994, Middleton made a guest appearance in fellow ITV soap opera Emmerdale as John Jarvis, a police constable. ^[3] He returned to Emmerdale in 1996, this time in the regular role of Ashley Thomas, a vicar. ^[4]

Middleton remained on Emmerdale until 2018; his character was written out with a high-profile dementia storyline that saw Ashley die. ^[5] The storyline saw Middleton nominated for and winning various accolades, including the British Soap Awards for Best Actor and Best Dramatic Performance at the 2017 ceremony. ^[6] At the same ceremony, Ashley's dementia storyline also claimed the awards for Best Single Episode and Best Storyline, as well as Middleton and Charlotte Bellamy, who portrayed his on-screen wife, being nominated for Best On-Screen Partnership. ^[7]

In October 2021, Middleton portrayed the role of Feargal Lumsden in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors . ^[8] Then in 2023, Middleton was cast in a touring stage production of My Fair Lady . ^[9] In 2025, he was cast in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as villain Froggy Black. ^[10]

Personal life

Middleton is a member of the Labour Party. He stood to be a councillor for North Tyneside Council, but was beaten. He has stated that it was fortunate to have been beaten, since he was offered his regular role in Emmerdale shortly afterwards. ^[11]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Shadow of the Noose	Elvey Robb	Episode: "Beside the Seaside"
1990, 1995	Brookside	Mr. Evans / Brian Halliwell	Recurring roles
1993	Bad Company	Radio Producer	Television film
1993	Crime Story	Geoff Foster	Episode: "Terrible Coldness: Graham Young"
1993	Prime Suspect	Fire Team Officer	Episode: "Keeper of Souls: Part 1"
1993, 1995	Coronation Street	John Hargreaves / Mr. Mitchell	Recurring roles
1994	In Suspicious Circumstances	Edwin Maybrick	Episode: "Poisoned Whispers"
1994	Medics	Simon	Episode: "All in the Mind"
1994	Heartbeat	Thompsett	Episode: "Mid Day Sun"
1994	Cracker	Simon	Episode: "Men Should Weep: Part 1"
1994	Emmerdale	John Jarvis	Guest role
1994	Finney	Brian	1 episode
1995	Eden Valley	Townie	Film
1995	The Gambling Man	Mr. Buckham	Recurring role
1995	The World of Lee Evans	Man Under Bed	Episode: "The Late Shift/Meet the Parents"
1996	The Ruth Rendell Mysteries	Peter Stanton	Episode: "Simisola: Part Two"
1996	Hetty Wainthropp Investigates	Simon Letby	Episode: "Lost Chords"
1996–2018	Emmerdale	Ashley Thomas	Regular role
1997	EastEnders	Doctor	2 episodes
1997	The Grand	Mr. Rigby	1 episode
1998	The Round Tower	Reg Walker	Television film
1998	The Things You Do for Love	Tony Warren	Television film
2021	Doctors	Feargal Lumsden	Episode: "No Place Like Home"
2025–present	Hollyoaks	Froggy Black	Regular role

Awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
2010	British Soap Awards	Best Actor	Emmerdale	Longlisted	[12]
2012	British Soap Awards	Best Actor		Longlisted	[13]
2016	British Soap Awards	Best Actor		Longlisted	[14]
2017	British Soap Awards	Best Actor		Won	[15]
2017	British Soap Awards	Best On-Screen Partnership (with Charlotte Bellamy)		Nominated	[16]
2017	Inside Soap Awards	Best Actor		Nominated	[17]
2017	Inside Soap Awards	Best Exit		Won	[17]

References

1. "This character has a key role in Brookside and Hollyoaks' shocking crossover episode". Digital Spy . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
2. "Emmerdale icon John Middleton's TV past exposed including two Coronation Street roles". Belfast Live . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
3. "9 Emmerdale stars who played more than one role in the soap". Digital Spy . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
4. Gavaghan, Carl (17 June 2008). "Emmerdale star interviews GP Taylor for TV show" . Retrieved 22 May 2009.
5. "Emmerdale dementia episode praised by Alzheimer's Society". BBC News . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
6. "Emmerdale wins six prizes at the British Soap Awards". BBC News . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
7. Dainty, Sophie (3 June 2017). "British Soap Awards 2017: Emmerdale wins Best British Soap for the second year running". Digital Spy . (Hearst Communications). Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
8. Lamacraft, Tess. "'Doctors' spoilers: Rhuma Carter helps a woman in labour". What to Watch . (Future plc). Retrieved 13 October 2021.
9. "ITV Emmerdale's Ashley Thomas' dramatic new look in very different starring role". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
10. "From Emmerdale vicar to Hollyoaks villain – John Middleton on his surprising soap return". Radio Times . Retrieved 8 October 2025.
11. "Exclusive interview with Emmerdale actor John Middleton". Northern Life. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
12. "British Soap Awards 2010: The Winners". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
13. Kilkelly, Daniel (27 February 2012). "British Soap Awards 2012 voting opens, nominations revealed". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
14. Travis, Ben (3 May 2016). "British Soap Awards nominees 2016: Coronation Street's live episode, Alison King, and EastEnders' Danny Dyer up for recognition". Evening Standard . Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
15. Dodds, Emma (7 June 2017). "The British Soap Awards 2017: The full list of winners". Closer . Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
16. "British Soap Awards 2017: Full list of winners". Belfast Telegraph . 7 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
17. "Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks all make the Inside Soap Awards longlist". Digital Spy . Retrieved 8 October 2025.

External links

• John Middleton at IMDb