Dales delight

He’s best-known as Emmerdale’s Cain Dingle, a role he’s played for 17 years. But Jeff Hordley could not be more different to his terrifying alter-ego. a devoted family man, Jeff, 47, lives in west Yorkshire with his wife of 14 years, Zoe Henry – better known as Emmerdale vet Rhona Goskirk – and their two children, Violet, 12, and Stanley, nine.

my kids would laugh to hear me described as a heartthrob. They’d find it funny if I tried the Cain Dingle stare at home, too. I wish I was a little bit sharper in my retorts in real life, but I’m very much the opposite. I’m actually quite nice and easy-going, but that’s not a bad thing, is it?

away from work, I love spending time on my allotment. My 20-year-old self would have laughed at the thought of having an allotment, but it’s my relaxation and it’s good to know where your food is coming from. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in my 20s and healthy eating has been a factor in stabilising it.

If I wasn’t an actor, I’d probably have been a DJ. I’ve always had a passion for music and I love going to gigs and Djing. I’ve started moving into downloads, but I collect vinyl and CDS. I couldn’t tell you how many records I have – thousands – too many!

Because I’ve been playing the hard man for so long, it’s a comfortable thing to slip into. I instantly know how to play a script because I know the character inside out – sometimes better than the writer might know him.

Zoe and I have been together for half of my life. I was 24 and Zoe was 20 when we met, so we’ve been together for 23 years. We were at college and we knew quickly that it was for life. I knew within six months – I’m hoping she did too!

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