Ashley and Bernice in Emmerdale were once love’s young dream.
The sweet-natured, kind-hearted vicar, and the funny, feisty barmaid won each other’s heart – and the hearts of viewers as their unlikely romance got going.
But it wasn’t long before the pair’s relationship started going wrong and viewers of classic Emmerdale on ITV3 have started to question whether their romance was actually abusive.
Here’s what happened between them.
An odd couple?
When straight-laced vicar Ashley Thomas fell for glamorous barmaid Bernice Blackstock, some people in the village weren’t impressed.
Judgemental churchgoer Edna Birch was horrified by their romance, not to mention Ashley’s bolshy boss, Bishop Postlethwaite who even tried to split the couple up by moving Ashley to a different church.
Red flags
With the stress of their failed romance playing on her mind, Bernice decided to take a holiday. But while she was away, Ashley took it upon himself to write to Bernice’s estranged dad, Rodney, hoping to mend their relationship.
Hmm, not really up to you, Ashley. We’re guessing Bernice had a good reason not to see her dad for more than 20 years!
Predictably, Bernice was not impressed at her boyfriend meddling in her family issues behind her back, so she dumped Ashley, leaving him heartbroken.
We reckon that might have been the first red flags warning that Ashley might be overly controlling.
Back together
When Sarah Sugden died in a barn fire a few weeks later, the villagers were devastated and Bernice realised life was too short not to be with the man she loved.
She and Ashley made up, and with the blessing of the grumpy bishop, they tied the knot on Christmas Day.
But the drama was just beginning for the pair. Bernice was delighted when she got pregnant but the couple were saddened when she had a miscarriage.
Ashley, needing time away – just when his wife could have done with him being around – took a temporary job elsewhere.
And feeling neglected, Bernice started an affair with Carlos, the chef from the Woolpack and sister Nicola’s boyfriend.
Trying again
Though the pair called off their affair, it all came out on Nicola and Carlos’s wedding day and Bernice – who was pregnant again – admitted she wasn’t sure whether the father was Ashley or Carlos..
Bernice eventually found out baby Gabby was Ashley’s and the pair got back together.
But she found motherhood tricky and started having doubts about her marriage.
In this week’s Classic Emmerdale, viewers saw a heartbreaking and impressive two-hander with Ashley and Bernice admitting their marriage was over, in episodes that originally aired in 2002.
But though they loved the “absolutely incredible” episode, fans pointed out the scenes showed that despite being a man of the cloth, Ashley wasn’t an ideal husband.
We have to admit, this two hander from 2002 on ITV3’s #classicemmerdale at the moment is absolutely incredible. Written by the late, great Chris Thompson, this episode displays first class performances from @john_Middleton_ and @sammeegiles as Ashley and Bernice. #emmerdale
— The Tates Of Home Farm 💙 (@TheTateDynasty) July 15, 2022
“Ashley is abusive,” wrote one on Twitter.
Another agreed: “Ashley is Abusive. The character, I mean. Typical traits of domestic violence and coercive control.”
“Ashley was really getting on my nerves today, he just would not SHUT UP about Bernice having another child. Gabby is only three months old, then he went into self pity and then nasty mode. This time I felt sorry for Bernice,” wrote a third.
A fourth said: “Poor Bernice. Being married to Ashley can really screw you up.”
“Well that was depressing,” said someone else.
Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale this year?
Abusive Ashley
With Bernice’s marriage over, she left the village without her daughter, returning eight years later.
And Ashley went on to marry Laurel Potts, and have children Arthur and Dotty.
But viewers were shocked when Ashley became physically abusive to his elderly dad, Sandy.
What’s that saying? When someone shows you who they are, believe them? Perhaps Ashley was showing us who he was all along?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV with an hour episode on Thursdays.
What do you think? Was Ashley abusive? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.