‘Emmerdale’ fans have taken to Twitter to praise two of the soaps young stars, Alfie Clarke and Rosie Bentham, who play Ashley Thomas’s children, Arthur and Gabby.
The actors both had key roles in Friday’s episode, which saw Ashley die after a long battle with dementia, as Arthur was among the family and friends at the former vicar’s bedside, while Gabby struggled to find the perfect moment to say goodbye.
And their skills did not go unnoticed, with many fans taking to Twitter to commend the young stars:
The episode marked the end of a storyline that has played out for over 12 months, and the exit means John Middleton’s 20 year stint on the soap is officially over.
His dementia storyline has had a huge impact on viewers, as well as child actor Alfie. Speaking to The Huffington Post UK and other reporters, Charlotte Bellamy, who plays Laurel, was full of praise for him, and said: “Little Alfie is extraordinary, he’s been in the show since he was two and a half and he’s come on so much. He’s been amazing.
“His mother said to me that when we did the funeral, he had never seen a coffin before and the way he handled that last scene, coming in and seeing John [Middleton], who obviously did look dead. That was very hard for him, but what he did was perfect.”
Kathryn Smith, the director of operations for the Alzheimer’s Society, added: “His mum spoke to me as well, and he’s looking to do a sponsored swim and train to become a dementia friend as well and take that into his school and he’s been preaching to the family about dementia.
“I’ve only met him once, but he’s quite a character. “
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