Emmerdale icon joins Hollyoaks as "notorious" villain - 8 years after last beloved soap character died
Playing the polar opposite to his last soap character.
There's a brand new villain heading to Hollyoaks, and he'll be played by a very well-known face from Emmerdale.
Froggy, whose full name is Fraser Black Senior, is the previously unseen father of the late Fraser (Jesse Birdsall), and the grandfather of Grace Black (Tamara Wall), Clare Devine (Gemma Bissix) and Rex Gallagher (Jonny Labey).
'Froggy' is played by John Middleton, whose most famous role was beloved vicar Ashley Thomas in the Dales.
Currently in prison alongside the recently-returned Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins), Froggy has enlisted Tom as his unofficial financial advisor.
But things are about to get interesting now that we know the older man is linked so closely to Clare.
Of course, back-from-the-dead Clare is the former sister-in-law to Tom, having spent a chunk of Tom's youth torturing him among her many other crimes.
Now it looks like Tom is working with Froggy to bring evil Clare down!
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Top dog among his fellow inmates, Froggy is due to be released, with plans to keep his nose clean so he can spend time with his loved ones – particularly his treasured granddaughter 'Gracie'.
When Froggy receives some shocking information from Tom about his granddaughter's whereabouts, he'll take action – but the question is, will Froggy be welcomed into his family with open arms?
Speaking about joining Hollyoaks, Middleton said: "From Vicar to Villain is quite a leap but that’s why I love this part.
"Froggy has a very dark history and he could reveal everyone’s murky past. He knows where all the bodies are buried; perhaps quite literally…"
We'll have to wait and see just how dangerous Froggy is, but it's clear he's ready to make his mark in the Hollyoaks village.
Middleton starred in Emmerdale from 1996 until 2017, when the gentle Ashley passed away after a battle with dementia.
The storyline earned widespread praise and saw the star pick up two British Soap Awards for his moving performances.
Since leaving the ITV soap, the actor has played American detective Arthur Gerard in Strangers on a Train, and Frank in the one man show Hull & High Water.
In 2022 and 2023, Middleton played Colonel Pickering in the UK Tour of My Fair Lady, with Doctors, The Things You Do for Love, The Gambling Man and Cracker among his many other television credits.
Read more:
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- Hollyoaks' Jennifer Metcalfe reveals personal link to Mercedes' devastating cancer storyline
- Diane Langton, Hollyoaks and Only Fools and Horses star, dies aged 77
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Authors
Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.
