Soap legend QUITS Hollyoaks after six months on screen as bosses scramble to create 'explosive' exit story for twisted show villain
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A soap legend has reportedly quit Hollyoaks after six months on-screen - with bosses now working on an 'explosive' exit story for the villainous character.
John Middleton joined the soap's cast last year, playing previously incarcerated criminal Fraser 'Froggy' Black Sr.
It was a huge contrast to his best-known role, kindly vicar Ashley Thomas in Emmerdale, whom he played for 22 years.
According to The Sun, actor John, 72, has opted to leave the role of Froggy after just six months.
A source told the publication: 'Bosses believed they were onto a winner by signing up John to play a cockney villain because the character was so different to his loveable role on Emmerdale.
'But John has now decided to bow out. He told them of his decision to quit and bosses have been left to come up with an explosive exit for him.
Hollyoaks star John Middleton has reportedly quit his role as Froggy Black - just six months after making his on-screen debut
John, 72, previously played Emmerdale's kindly vicar Ashley Thomas for 22 years (pictured in 2011 with on-screen wife Laurel, played by Charlotte Bellamy)
'They are still deciding whether to kill him off or whether to leave the door open for a possible return in the future.'
Upon arriving in the village, Froggy reconnected with his granddaughters Grace Black and her killer sister Clare Devine.
Drama soon ensued, with Clare fatally shooting Grace in an altercation between them and Grace's son Rex (Jonny Labey).
Froggy remained with Rex as well as his police detective son Sully (Harry French), although he kicked out the latter upon him being exposed as a racist.
During his time on Emmerdale, John's character Ashley married three times: first to Bernice Blackstock and later Laurel Potts on two occasions.
Ashley's children, Gabby (Rosie Bentham) and Arthur (Alfie Clarke), each from a respective marriage, remain in the soap as regulars.
In the beloved vicar's final storyline, Ashley tackled a heart-wrenching battle with degenerative vascular dementia, which ended with his death.
Heartbreaking scenes saw Ashley regain consciousness for his final moments, able to utter his wife's name 'Laurel' for the first time in months.
Speaking to The Mirror at the time of his Emmerdale departure, John said: ''People are stopping me in the streets saying thank you for doing this, and that is in many ways the best award.
'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.
'They say thank you for portraying it so accurately, so that makes me immensely proud.'
Earlier this month, it was reported John's Hollyoaks co-star and on-screen son Harry French had quit his role as Sully.
He joined the cast for the 30th anniversary in late 2025 as corrupt police officer and rapist Connor "Sully" Sullivan.
The actor has reportedly already filmed his final scenes which are said to be 'explosive'.
Of his departure, a source told The Sun: 'Sully’s a truly evil villain and there will be explosive consequences as he pays for what he’s done.
'Harry knew going into the show that there would be an end to Sully but he’s loved his time there and is looking forward to doing new things'.
Harry's exit came after reports Alex Fletcher (Diane Hutchinson) and Chelsee Healey (Goldie McQueen) have also stepped down from the show.
Daily Mail contacted Hollyoaks for comment.
