Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) is about to have the double whammy of bad news in Emmerdale; his wife is being done for a double murder, and he has aggressive cancer.
After the Corriedale crash, Cain learned he had a mass, possibly cancerous, and underwent several tests. After a tense wait, the results are in.
He’s nervous as he waits for the consultant, and Ms Rhodes confirms what indestructible Cain never thought he’d hear – he has aggressive cancer. It’s localised, which is some positive news, but he does have cancer and Cain has to deal with the news all on his own.
Cain’s on his own as wife Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) has been arrested and charged with murdering both Celia and Anya. After she was framed for the modern slavery ring, police investigated her for these fresh crimes and came up trumps when they found Anya’s body wrapped in Moira’s DNA-laden blanket.
He decides not to tell his wife this grave news, as actor Jeff Hordley says: ‘He can see she’s struggling to deal with what’s going on inside there, so he feels that to burden her with the honesty of his diagnosis wouldn’t be the right thing to do. So he decides, for better or for worse, it’s best not to tell Moira.’
So, Cain is alone while innocent Moira rots in a cell, and he’s overwhelmed as he learns what it means for him, his body, and his future as the doctor recommends a prostatectomy – removal of the prostate gland.
For possibly the first time ever, we see Cain truly vulnerable as the hard-as-nails and unbreakable Dingle suddenly realises he could die.
‘I think he’s faced with his own mortality here and he knows this is something that could finish him off,’ actor Jeff tells Metro. ‘He’s lost his mother to cancer so he’s all too aware of what can happen.
As Cain arrives back in the village his mind is awash with worst case scenarios as he contemplates leaving his children without either parent.
‘With a wife in prison who might end up staying there and then him leaving, who takes the boys? It’s all that kind of thing that’s whizzing through his mind’, Jeff notes.
He slips into a state of denial and the usual Cain anger comes to the fore. Anyone who gets in his way will get the brunt of it, including poor Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) and Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson), who catch him mid spiral. He loses it at them before his rage forces him to leave.
These scenes will air in a special episode that focuses on Cain’s inner thoughts, telling the story from the character’s perspective.
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He stumbles over to Zak’s grave where he sits with his mind in a spin. He’ll be forced to plough his emotions into keeping the farm running, which could in turn see Cain bury his head further in the sand.
‘It’s a real challenge and adds an extra stress because he’s got to run the garage as well,’ Jeff says of Cain using his responsibilities as a distraction from his health. ‘He’s got to keep money coming in. That’s the overriding goal for him, to keep providing for his family.’
Will the weight of all of this building pressure hasten Cain’s demise?
Cain’s story has been produced with the support of the charity Prostate Cancer UK.
Laura Kerby, Chief Executive at the charity, said:
‘Storylines like Cain’s have a huge impact in reaching men and families up and down the country and putting prostate cancer, and men’s risk, on their radar.”
‘We’re grateful to Emmerdale’s team for working with Prostate Cancer UK to shape Cain’s prostate cancer journey, working with our Specialist Nurse and speaking directly to our supporters who have been through diagnosis and treatment. This care and attention makes sure that people see an emotive and important storyline that is as true to life as possible within Emmerdale, and which we hope drives more men to understand their risk of prostate cancer and what they can choose to do about it.’
Emmerdale Producer, Laura Shaw, added:
‘Cain instinctively felt like the right character to tell this story. He is a complex man that doesn’t normally talk about his feelings or channel them in a helpful way. It’s important men are encouraged to get checked, but we also want to sensitively explore the possible side effects patients may have, but don’t necessarily talk about.
‘It’s also a love story for Cain and Moira as they navigate the tough times ahead as a married couple.’
