Laurel Thomas (née Potts; previously Dingle) is the widow of Ashley Thomas, mother of his children Arthur and Dotty Thomas and step-mother to his daughter Gabby Thomas. She is also considered a grandmother to Gabby's son Thomas Tate.
Biography[]
2002-2005: Arrival and relationship with Ashley[]
Laurel arrives at Marlon Dingle and Tricia Stokesengagement party, dressed as a bumblebee. She collapses halfway through her act and is to be rushed to hospital. Laurel then moves in with pensioners Betty Eagleton and Seth Armstrong at Keepers Cottage. Laurel later develops feelings for vicar Ashley Thomas. Though Ashley likes Laurel, he does not feel the same about her. Laurel starts a career in cleaning and manages to secure many village residents on her books. She becomes best friends with Nicola Blackstock, who also becomes her business partner. Ashley and Louise Appleton are involved in a car accident following a storm. Laurel decides to look after Ashley while he recovers. The pair become close and Ashley develops feelings for her and they start dating. She gets on well with his young daughter, Gabby. Later in the year, Laurel decides to carry out volunteer work in Tanzania. Ashley fails to stop her with a proposal of marriage.
When Laurel returns she agrees to marry Ashley. They face problems when Bishop George Postlethwaite, who refuses them permission to marry. He makes it clear Ashley's love life has put his position in question. Ashley quits his job but realises he cannot cope without the church. Laurel tells Ashley she will wait to marry him. Curate Ethan Blake becomes Laurel's confidant but falls in love with her. He makes advances on Laurel, but she rebukes his attentions, so Ethan tells George they had kissed. When George discovers Ethan has lied, he gives Laurel and Ashley his blessing and carries out their wedding ceremony.
Laurel helps Ashley reconnect with his estranged father Sandy. When Nicola leaves their village she struggles with the workload combined with newfound parish duties. Laurel clashes with Ashley's niece Jasmine. They eventually bond after a difficult start. However, Laurel is upset when Jasmine's friends Debbie Dingle and Daz Eden accidentally set fire to the vicarage, seeing her lose everything.
2006-2007: Pregnancy and losing Daniel[]
In 2006, Laurel and Ashley move into Mulberry Cottage after months of having no home following the fire. Later that year, Laurel argues with Ashley over Alice Dingle's death after he disapproves of her husband Sam helping her die. In December 2006, Laurel discovers that she is pregnant, but worries about telling Ashley as they just had a horrible argument, though she is relieved when he reacts well to the news. In April 2007, Laurel's parents Douglas and Hilary Potts visit her and end up in a car accident. Laurel decides to look after them. Upon her return, she goes into labour whilst locked in the village church, with only Shadrach Dingle for help. Shadrach rings the church bell to attract any attention from passers-by. When she gives birth to a boy named, which she and Ashley name Daniel, whilst in hospital, she meets Melanie Doland, who has also just had a baby boy.
Several months later, Laurel finds Daniel dead in his cot. Laurel is distraught and lashes out at those closest to her. She moves in with Betty so she doesn't have to see Ashley and later kisses Greg, Mel's husband. Ashamed, she returns home to Ashley. Hilary begins to suspect that Melanie and Greg's son Arthur is Ashley and Laurel's child as he seems to resemble them a lot. She sets out to prove there was a mix up at the hospital but Laurel feels like she is betraying Daniel and refuses to believe it. She falls out with her mother and Hilary leaves as a result.
After a DNA test is carried out, Arthur is proven to be Ashley and Laurel's son, due to an accidental mix up at the hospital. Ashley starts a custody battle and Mel attempts to run away with Arthur but returns him. Ashley tells Laurel he will leave her and raise Arthur alone if she does not attend the custody hearing. When they win, she finds it hard to bond with the child and her marriage suffers as a result. Laurel fears Arthur has died when he suffers a cold and takes him to hospital. This soon makes her realise she has to accept him as her son.
2008-2010: Rivalry with Sally[]
George announces that the church faces closure due to low attendance. Laurel and Nicola attempt to save the church by carrying out various charity events. David Metcalfe later reveals that Nicola was in on the plan to buy the church, which ends her friendship, though they later make peace. Laurel barricades herself in the church to stop its closure. However, Natasha Wylde reveals she has brought it and donates it back to the community. This allows Laurel and Ashley to stay in the village. Jasmine admits to murdering Shane Doyle, Laurel tries to get her to confess as it was self-defence. However Jasmine goes on the run, with Debbie left taking the blame. Laurel goes to the police to make a statement about Jasmine, however they charge her with perverting the course of justice. She is later given forty hours of community service.
Ashley comes back into contact with old enemy Vincent and Sally Spode. Sally starts visiting them more claiming to need support. Laurel makes an effort as she previously dated Ashley. Though Sally leaves Vincent and moves into the vicarage. Laurel tries to get her to go home and Sally causes trouble for Laurel. Vincent becomes angry with Sally for leaving, who pretends to be victimised. Laurel later grows tired of Sally's reluctance to find somewhere else to live. Laurel becomes angry with Sally for attempting to take over her role in her domestic life.
Sally locks Laurel in the church having caused a fire. Sally pretends to be concerned and alerts villagers. Laurel survives and realises Sally could be behind the fire and tries to stop Sally from looking after her children. Sally later tries to suffocate Laurel. Laurel informs Ashley that she suspects Sally was behind the fire, though he refuses to believe her and calls her a councillor. Laurel leaves Ashley for not believing her and takes the children to live with Hilary. Sally is delighted to have Ashley to herself, though after a while he realises Laurel was telling the truth. When Laurel returns she agrees to move back in their home. Though, she makes it clear their marriage will take time to repair. Laurel tracks Sally down to a block of flats. She finds a shrine of Ashley inside and Sally claims to be pregnant with his child. Laurel attacks Sally and dangles her over the flat balcony. Laurel sees sense and pulls her back over, which results in Sally being arrested.
2011-2015: Leaving Ashley, relationship with Marlon and addiction[]
Laurel refuses to go on strike over Nikhil Sharma while all the other factory girls do. She is later annoyed to find out Charity Tate set Nikhil up. Laurel becomes annoyed with the atmosphere between Ashley and Sandy. She spends more time out of the house and with Marlon Dingle. They share an emotional moment, though when Marlon becomes close to Rachel Breckle, Laurel becomes jealous and realises she has feelings for Marlon.
In the summer of 2012, Marlon and Laurel became a couple after a year of love and attraction between them. This caused major problems for Laurel's marriage to Ashley, who started abusing his father Sandy as a result of the stress of trying to make the marriage work. When Laurel discovered this, it signalled the final blow for the couple. Laurel is now maintaining a friendship with Ashley and Marlon let Ashley move in with him after he had nowhere else to go, having moved out of the marital home, where Laurel remained with Sandy and the kids. The children struggled to cope following the recent events, particularly Gabby, whose biological mother Bernice returned to the village in November later that year.
In 2013, Laurel and Marlon became engaged, but their happiness was marred when Laurel was carjacked by Ross Barton. Traumatised by the incident, she eventually tracked him down and stabbed him in the shoulder with a pair of scissors. Later, she saw him at Moira Barton’s farm and found out he was her nephew. She called the police but after the truth about her attacking him came out, he had her brought up on charges. Ross turned up at Mulberry a month later after Laurel had been ordered to pay a fine for stabbing him and he demanded the money but she stood up to him and he left.
Laurel then had to deal with the return of Marlon's ex-wife Donna Windsor, who came back to let him get to know April, the daughter he'd never known about. Donna tried to hide the fact that she was dying, but eventually, Marlon learned the truth. His old feelings for Donna resurfaced, making Laurel insecure about their relationship. In attempts to have money for April's future, Donna became involved in criminal activities, with Ross soon joining her as well as becoming her lover. Donna killed herself and Gary North, a crime boss she had run afoul of, leaving Laurel to cope with a devastated Marlon and April. April's only comfort was Ross, meaning Laurel had to put aside their past animosity to try to help April cope. Laurel kissed Ashley and learned that Marlon had kissed Donna, making her unsure she even wanted to marry him, but they went ahead.
The stress took a toll on Laurel, and she steadily succumbed to alcoholism. By the beginning of 2015 she had lost her job at the factory and was hiding her drinking from Marlon as well as Doug, who'd returned to the village after a breakup with Hilary. When April drank from her glass and became sick, Laurel rushed her to hospital, swearing her to secrecy. When Marlon began to find out about her drinking, she tried to blame the stress on Daniel's death, among other problems. The problem rapidly sped up when April and Arthur found her drunk and passed out on the sofa, choking on her own vomit. She refused to get help, punching Marlon and severely damaging one of his corneas when he tried to get through to her. Cain Dingle gave her money to leave the village, but in her drunken state and rush to flee, she ran over Marlon's beloved dog, Daisy. He found her hiding the corpse amongst a pile of leaves, begging him not to look. She then went to a bar in town, letting a man take her home in exchange for booze, and stealing his money the morning after. He tracked her down at home and when Marlon learned what she'd done, it was the last straw. Several weeks later she learned he'd given her an STI. She tried to pretend everything was fine, and keep the children with her, but she showed up drunk at school and began calling Gabby names. At an all-time low, Laurel began leaning on Ashley, again falling off the wagon due to a conflict with him. He was run over by Victoria Sugden soon after, and a delirious Laurel fought with his girlfriend Harriet Finch at hospital, getting a slap in the process. Back in the village, she saw Sandy weeping, and assumed the worst, accidentally telling Bernice and Gabby that Ashley was dead. When Laurel learned the truth, she finally went on the wagon.
Marlon and Laurel tried again, and when they learned of Hilary's death, even went to her funeral as a couple, but they realised the marriage was best left behind. Laurel received no inheritance beyond trinkets, so reluctantly stayed with Marlon and April as she started her life over, working as a waitress at the cafe. After she helps Belle Dingle and Kirin Kotecha with their new cordial, an impressed Rishi offers her her job back at the factory. She agrees and makes plans to move into a place of her own.
2016-2017: Reunion with Ashley, having Dotty and Ashley's death[]
As she gets back on track with her sobriety whilst living with Nicola and Jimmy, she realises she has residual feelings for Ashley who is with Harriet. However, as Ashley discovers his illness of early on-set vascular dementia he realises that he is dying but decides to keep it from his family including Laurel. As his relationship with Harriet comes to an end on the night of their engagement, Laurel feels now is the right time to tell him how she feels and as she leans in to kiss him he quickly backs away as Laurel starts to feel embarrassed Ashley is forced to tell her about his illness which he had kept secret until then. She reacts in shock and at first doesn't believe what he his saying but as he begins to explain she starts to understand that his memory is deteriorating rapidly and he will eventually die. Although he tells her he loves her he also tells her he can't be with her and cause her the pain of watching him die and the burden of becoming his carer. As much as she protested how much she loved him and was willing to be there for him and care for him, he was adamant that he would be better dealing with this on his own. However, as the night goes on he realises that he can't do it without her and that he wants to have his final days with her.
In January 2016, Laurel, Ashley and the children move back into Mulberry where their lives first began all those years ago. As they start unpacking Laurel goes to fix a lightbulb when she falls off a ladder and faints. As Doug insists she gets checked out at the hospital Laurel discovers she's pregnant, in complete shock she decides to tell Ashley, however as elated he is with the news Laurel breaks the news that she wants a termination, with her being a recovering alcoholic and his illness would be getting worse she couldn't handle another baby in the house. A devastated Ashley tries to change her mind but her decision was final and with the pressure building Laurel is tempted by a glass of wine but she stops herself with the help of Nicola. Later Ashley understands why Laurel has decided to get an abortion and he supports her at the clinic, however as she begins to explain why she can't have a baby she breaks down and runs out of the clinic. She then changed her mind about the termination and decides that maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing after all, and they could make it work. They tried to spend a lot of time together during the pregnancy and had a big heart to heart during a family picnic.
Laurel also struggled to deal with Gabby who was becoming an increasingly rebellious teenager. Laurel is shocked as Ashley blames her for Gabby drinking vodka. Later, Gabby is found drunk with Jacob Gallagher, so Laurel and Ashley decide to ground her, as well as ban her from seeing Jacob. Not long after, Laurel catches Gabby and Jacob about to have sex at Mulberry and berates both of them, before dragging Jacob out of the house. She is horrified when Gabby blackmails her over the bruises on Jacob’s arm and is forced to let Gabby see him until Ashley finds out.
Laurel gave birth to a healthy baby girl in September 2016 with Ashley by her side. They later named her Dotty after Ashley’s mother. However, their happiness is short-lived as in October, Ashley goes missing. Laurel searches for him with help from Finn Barton and they learn that Ashley was involved in the Hotten Bypass Crash and Laurel later has to tell Finn his father died in the accident. Laurel is devastated as Ashley’s condition deteriorates over Christmas.
In 2017, Ashley begins to forget more and more as Laurel struggles to cope. After he wanders off and has to be brought home by Aaron Dingle, he doesn't remember Laurel, leaving her heartbroken. She then decides it is time for Ashley to go into a care home, though Gabby objects and accused Laurel of abandoning him. While at the care home, Ashley completely forgets Laurel as he believes he is engaged to a woman at the care home and Laurel is sad about this, but sees how much he enjoys being with the other residents. In March 2017, Ashley coughs up blood during one of Laurels visit and she is distraught as he is later diagnosed with pneumonia. She takes him home so he can be with his family during his final days and devotes herself to taking care of him as he becomes weaker. In April, Laurel goes upstairs and when she returns, she realises that Ashley has died and she is devastated.
She is inconsolable over his death and finds it difficult to be there for the kids. His funeral takes place a week later and afterwards, Laurel has a dream that she is talking to Ashley through the television. When she wakes up she feels much better as she remembers dream Ashley’s words. Laurel continues to grieve over her husband and becomes incredibly controlling when the villagers all pitch in to pay for a stained glass window in the church in his honour as she rejects lots of designs before choosing a somber image. However, Kerry Wyatt's design submission is mistakenly sent through and Laurel is initially horrified to see Kerry's "buff Ashley" in the window, but she soon sees the funny side.
2017-2019: Affair with Bob, relationship with Jai[]
Later in 2017, Laurel seeks comfort from Ashley's friend, Bob Hope. They end up sleeping together and Laurel feels terrible, both for betraying Ashley and because Bob was in a relationship with Brenda Walker. However, she finds that she enjoys having an affair as it makes her feel alive and so they carry on seeing each other. Unfortunately, Brenda works out that Bob is having an affair and announces it to the whole village in December 2017. Laurel is relieved when Brenda has no idea who the other woman is and agrees to call it off with Bob as he reconciles with Brenda.
However, in 2018, Bob and Brenda break up, so Laurel starts seeing Bob again. She also lets him move into Mulberry after Brenda kicks him out. However, this causes problems with Gabby and Arthur as they resent Bob and Gabby becomes hostile toward Laurel for moving on from Ashley. In November 2018, Laurel realised that everything with Bob was too soon and after discovering his financial mess, she asks him to move out. A while later, Laurel finds out that Bob became homeless after she asked him to leave and she feels awful for throwing him out onto the streets.
 |
Residences[]
| Address | Duration |
|---|---|
| Hangley Road, Hotten | Until 9th September 2002 |
| Keepers Cottage | 9th September 2002 to 30th August 2004 |
| Tanzania | 30th August 2004 to 30th January 2005 |
| Mill Brook Cottage (temporarily) | 30th January to 31st January 2005 |
| The Woolpack | 31st January to 6th November 2005 |
| Mill Brook Cottage | 6th November 2005 to 21st April 2006 |
| The Woolpack (temporarily) | 21st April to 23rd April 2006 |
| The Grange (temporarily) | 23rd April to 15th May 2006 |
| Mulberry Cottage | 15th May 2006 to 3rd May 2007 |
| Lytham St Annes | 3rd May to 21st August 2007 |
| Mulberry Cottage | 21st August 2007 to 4th December 2009 |
| Lytham St Annes | 4th December 2009 to 23rd February 2010 |
| Mulberry Cottage | 23rd February 2010 to 27th September 2012 |
| Tall Trees Cottage | 27th September 2012 to 21st May 2015 |
| Brook Cottage | 21st May to 29th June 2015 |
| Tall Trees Cottage | 29th June to 17th November 2015 |
| Victoria Cottage | 17th November to 24th December 2015 |
| Brook Cottage | 24th December 2015 to 26th January 2016 |
| Mulberry Cottage | 26th January 2016 to present |
| Holdgate Farm (during lockdown) | 8th June to 24th June 2020 |
Other information[]
- Laurel is allergic to prawns.
Background information[]
- Cal Freestone portrayed Laurel in Episode 7699 (20th December 2016), to show Ashley Thomas' struggle with dementia.