Ex-Emmerdale star John Middleton has announced he’s bagged himself a new acting job.
The 68-year-old actor is famed for playing beloved Reverend Ashley Thomas on the ITV Dales for years.
John was a regular on the hit ITV soap from 1996 until 2017 before he returned in 2018 for just two episodes.
READ MORE: Emmerdale fan-favourite speaks out on devastating exit
However, he’s now set to take on a new acting role that will see him ditch the church job and become a military man.
That’s because he’s set to play Colonel Pickering in a new theatre production of My Fair Lady, which will wow crowds at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre from September 22 until October 2.
(Image: MDM)
The official Bradford Theatres Twitter account announced that John was among the new additions to the show on Wednesday night (August 24).
Revealing the exciting news, the Bradford Theatre account wrote: “Also joining the @MyFairLadyUK cast…
“Heather Jackson as Mrs Higgins, @john_Middleton_ as Colonel Pickering & Tom Liggins as Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Opening at the #alhambratheatrebradford 22 Sep – 2 Oct”
(Image: TWITTER)
John later shared the tweet and confirmed the job, writing: “Yep… it’s official!!” with a nervous emoji.
However, he was soon inundated with congratulatory messages from his famous pals and fans.
Karan Blick, who plays Lydia Dingle in Emmerdale, wrote: “Ahh fabulous x”
One fan wrote: “Fabulous cast John. Looking forward to seeing it in Bradford.”
A second said: “Fab cast John good luck”, whilst another added: “Congratulations Sir”.
(Image: itv)
John is joining a star-studded cast for the critically acclaimed production, which is directed by Bartlett Sher.
Among the celebs is EastEnders legend Adam Woodyatt, opera superstar Lesley Garrett, and theatre star Michael D. Xavier, a two-time Olivier Award nominee.
It’s not his first theatre role, as John took to the stage for a touring stage adaptation of Stranger on a Train after leaving the soap.
(Image: itv)
John left Emmerdale as Ashley in 2017 after having to take on a tough storyline as his character suffered from dementia.
Speaking about his exit on Good Morning Britain, he said: “Kate Oates was the producer at the time – she’s now the producer of Coronation Street – and she pitched the [dementia storyline] to me. She said: ‘You will probably want to go away and think about this, because if you do [agree to it], you will have to leave in about two years’ time.
He added: “I said, ‘I don’t have to think about this at all, this is the best story anyone has ever pitched to me. Of course I want to do it!”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
