Emmerdale spoiler: Who will Laurel’s love interest be after Ashley death? 'Lots to come'

However, after seeing the vicar steadily diminish, Laurel’s drama in the Dales is far from finished and now actress Charlotte Bellamy has warned fans there is still “lots to come”, while the question looms over which of her neighbouring gentlemen she may move on to next.

Speaking to press including Express.co.uk today, Charlotte said: “Well, it is a continuing drama, isn’t it? But I have no idea. I’ll do what I’m told! She’s a survivor isn’t she? So she’ll… I’m sure they’ll leave her alone for a bit, but who knows?

“But of course, the story carries on and there’s still lots to come as well, without giving anything away.”

Showrunner Iain MacLeod stressed that the ITV soap will undoubtedly honour Ashley and Laurel’s monumental love story with “respect”. 

“I can jump in right now and say nothing will be done with any undue haste with Laurel’s character,” he explained. “Just because Ashley has been her great love, it would be a bit remiss of us to suddenly go and throw a few love interests in the door.

“We’ll be respectful in our time frames, I can assure you of that.”

Charlotte admitted she’s been “bereft” filming without her co-star John Middleton, who recorded his final scenes as Ashley earlier this year.

“I’m so sad to lose John because he’s been great,” she sighed. “It is funny as a soap couple when you work together for 15 years, it’s strange when it stops. 

“I spend more time with John than I do my husband! But we’ve been so lucky with the stories that we have been involved in.”

John, who played Ashley for over two decades, added: “I’ve made a friend I will have for the rest of my life. We know each other very well and I live around the corner, our families know each other really well.

“I have been very lucky to be partnered with Charlotte and we both have an understanding of how we do this job. We aren’t showy actors, we like to get to the truth, and there’s a shorthand that has developed between the two of us about how things should be done.”

Emmerdale airs Ashley’s final scenes this Friday at 7pm on ITV.