emmerdale

Emmerdale Cain actor Jeff Hordley’s family life with co-star wife Zoe Henry

Posted on by Hellen

Jeff Hordley stands as one of Emmerdale’s most seasoned performers, with ITV audiences captivated by his character’s rollercoaster journey as both a devoted father and the village’s resident bad boy.

In upcoming scenes, Cain faces a serious health battle when in moving episodes airing next week he is told he has prostate cancer. Cain learns he has aggressive, yet localised, prostate cancer.

Overwhelmed by the diagnosis and the potential side effects of the recommended treatment, Cain cuts the consultation short and leaves.

In a special episode, the programme’s narrative will focus upon Cain’s inner thoughts and tell the story from his character’s perspective as he struggles to process his diagnosis alone.

In upcoming scenes, Cain faces a serious health battle

In upcoming scenes, Cain faces a serious health battle (Image: ITV)

Jeff has said of the new storyline: “I feel really honoured to be given this storyline and I am excited for the challenges it is already throwing at me.

“This is the first proper illness my character, Cain, has been given and I want to play my part in making sure the audience can relate to the journey so many families unfortunately have to navigate.”

With Cain taking centre stage, soap watchers maybe wondering about actor Jeff’s, 55, life away from the ITV soap…

Who is Jeff Hordley married to?

Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain Dingle in the ITV soap, is married to co-star Zoe Henry

Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain Dingle in the ITV soap, is married to co-star Zoe Henry (Image: Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage))

The Emmerdale favourite is wed to fellow cast member Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona Goskirk in the beloved soap.

The pair first crossed paths at drama school back in 1994, with Jeff popping the question on the very evening Zoe scooped the Best Actress in a Leading Role gong at the Manchester Evening News theatre awards.

Jeff and Zoe exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony in 2003, and whilst both feature in Emmerdale, their characters rarely share scenes together.

This arrangement is entirely deliberate, as the pair favour maintaining a “very separate existence” whilst at work, Zoe revealed once during an appearance on Lorraine.

Does Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley have children?

Jeff and Zoe are parents to two children - daughter Violet Percy, born in 2005, and son Stan Percy, who arrived three years later

Jeff and Zoe are parents to two children – daughter Violet Percy, born in 2005, and son Stan Percy, who arrived three years later (Image: PA)

Indeed, Jeff and Zoe are parents to two children – daughter Violet Percy, born in 2005, and son Stan Percy, who arrived three years later.

To guarantee one parent could remain home with their little ones during their early years, Jeff and Zoe’s storylines were scheduled for different filming periods. During her pivotal role in Marlon Dingle’s (Mark Charnock) stroke storyline in 2022, Zoe revealed how her husband provided invaluable support.

Speaking to Lorraine at the time, Zoe explained: “We often do line learning together. This time, Jeff’s been amazing. He’s just taking the weight off what’s going on at home.

“Obviously we’ve got two kids, two dogs, we’ve got an allotment and he’s just managing all of that. He’s about to get busy as I sort of quieten down so we’ll swap the baton then.”

The actor who portrays Cain Dingle also previously opened up about how the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 brought their family closer together at their beloved allotment.

He shared: “During the whole covid lockdowns, it’s like a two-minute walk from my house, it really helped Zoe and I. And the dogs came up with us and the children came up with us and getting your hands in the earth, it’s so good for your mental health. Just watching something grow is such a positive experience because it reaffirms life.”