John Middleton, best known for portraying the warm-hearted vicar Ashley Thomas in Emmerdale, is set to make a dramatic career pivot — swapping sermons for sinister schemes.
The beloved Yorkshire actor is joining Hollyoaks, but not as the kindly clergyman fans remember. This time, he’s stepping into the shoes of a mob boss — a role insiders claim could be his darkest yet.
“People usually think of Ashley when they see John, but that won’t be happening any more, Fraser is about as far away from the kindly vicar you can get.”
Middleton’s new character, Fraser, is expected to shake things up in the Channel 4 soap. Described as a man with serious connections and even more sinister intentions, he’ll be entering the village with ties that already run deep.
“He’s possibly the most evil character Hollyoaks has ever had – and for a village plagued by serial killers, that’s saying something. Fraser will make his entrance very soon, and he’s got more than one connection to the village with his twisted family already there.”
It’s a bold leap from his former days in the Dales. Middleton played Ashley Thomas for over two decades, delivering one of Emmerdale’s most heart-wrenching storylines — a battle with dementia that deeply moved viewers.
His portrayal earned widespread praise and cemented his place in British soap history. But now, he’s returning to familiar soap turf with a much darker twist.
In Hollyoaks, he’ll be revealed as the father of notorious villain Fraser Black — a character who previously terrorised the village before being shot dead in a dramatic whodunnit arc in 2014. The plot thickened when it turned out Fraser’s own stepson, Freddie Roscoe, pulled the trigger.
Middleton’s Fraser is also the grandfather of some of Hollyoaks’ most troubled figures — Clare Devine, Grace Black, and Rex Gallagher. Villainy seems to run in the family.
This isn’t Middleton’s first foray outside Emmerdale. According to IMDb, the 71-year-old actor has a long list of credits to his name. From Coronation Street, where he played multiple roles including the man who killed Lisa Duckworth, to appearances in Doctors, The Gambling Man, and the TV movie The Things You Do for Love: Against the Odds, he’s shown his range time and again.
Now, with his upcoming Hollyoaks debut, Middleton appears ready to shock fans all over again.
One thing’s for sure — Ashley Thomas is gone. Fraser is here. And he’s not playing nice.
