The actor has starred as the vicar in the ITV soap for two decades and for the past two years, viewers have seen Ashley succumb to dementia.
Despite the challenging role, the 63-year-old revealed portraying the character has made him “proud”.
“People are stopping me in the streets saying thank you for doing this, and that is in many ways the best award,” John told the Mirror.
He continued: ”Particularly when you are talking to people who have got direct contact with this disease, who have lost loved ones to it, or who are caring for people with it, or people who have the disease.
He added: “My very final scene was emotional. We had done some rehearsal and people were all in tears.
“You could have heard a pin drop on the studio floor, and there was an immense amount of sensitivity and care, they wanted to get this right.
“That I found in itself very moving let alone the thing being portrayed.”
Emmerdale continues tonight at 7pm on ITV.
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