Emmerdale's notorious bad boy Cain Dingle, masterfully portrayed by Jeff Hordley for the past 25 years, is a character ITV viewers know all too well. He's been embroiled in numerous romantic entanglements, including with his cousin Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins.
Although he seemingly settled down after marrying Moira Dingle (Natalie J. Robb) in 2014, Cain's life has been far from simple. Most recently, he betrayed Moira during her brain tumour surgery with his brother's wife Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly). Meanwhile, Jeff Hordley's actual life is nothing like his on-screen alter ego's turbulent world.
In reality, he's married with his Emmerdale co-star Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona Goskirk on the popular soap. We're taking a look into their lives off-screen and away from the drama in the ITV soap. Their bond began long before they graced TV screens, having met at Manchester Metropolitan University School of Theatre in 1994, where they became college sweethearts.
Zoe affectionately recalls their early sparks while chatting with Lorraine on her talk show, reports Leeds Live. She reminisced: "We got together at drama school. We've been together 28 years. With the connection on set, we were together for 10 years before that as well. We got together in 1994, I believe.".
Jeff previously shared to Soaplife magazine back in 2011 his instant attraction to Zoe, saying: "We met at drama school in 1994. I saw Zoe and realised she was the girl for me.". When Jeff was 23 and Zoe just 21, he couldn't see himself with anyone else at college but her. Smitten, he reminisced: "I made moves and, fortunately, she said yes on that occasion too.".
It wasn't just any engagement for Jeff; he chose a spectacular moment to propose to Zoe. After years together, the stars aligned perfectly when Zoe won Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the Manchester Evening News's theatre awards back in 2002. It certainly added a twist to their tale that even Jeff hadn't fully anticipated when he told the Manchester Evening News: "I had been planning to propose for a some time and thought to myself: 'If she wins today, I'll do it today'.
"When she won, I leaped out of my seat in front of her. Then it dawned on me that her winning meant that I had to propose - and that's when the nerves set in. Fortunately for me, she said yes.". Despite the soaring public profile, their wedding remained a strictly private affair just a year after the proposal.
Preparing to say 'I do', Jeff was adamant about keeping things low-key, declaring: "OK and Hello magazines won't be there, no way. I like to keep my private life to myself. "I just wouldn't do that. I wouldn't want to bring that kind of intrusive pressure on myself or on my family and my friends.".
The loved-up duo tied the knot in the majestic Hedingham Castle, then dashed off to the Swan Hotel in Lavenham to continue their celebrations. Among the guests were some familiar faces from Emmerdale, including Emma Atkins, who portrays Cain’s former flame Charity Tate, and Charley Webb, better known as his on-screen daughter Debbie.
A couple of years down the line, the soap sweethearts welcomed a little girl named Violet into their lives, and not long afterward, in 2008, they had a son, Stan. The family, along with their two dogs, live in an idyllic home in the Yorkshire Dales. Zoe frequently gives her social media followers a glimpse into their charming family life which seems to involve plenty of time devoted to nurturing the fruit and veggies in their allotment.
Speaking to the Sun's Fabulous Magazine in 2019, Zoe shared: "We have an allotment and it's so therapeutic to have your hands in the earth. "We're mindful of what we eat, but watching our diet isn't about being on TV, it's more about general well-being, as Jeff has Crohn's disease.".
