Emmerdale actor Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain Dingle, has described the soap's upcoming prostate cancer storyline as the hardest he has ever worked on. In scenes airing tomorrow night, Cain is diagnosed with aggressive but localised prostate cancer, following a tumour discovered during a hospital scan after he was shot in January's Corriedale special.
Hordley, 55, said: 'This is the hardest story I have ever worked on throughout my time on Emmerdale because I want to make sure I get it right for the many men who are sadly affected.' He added that filming the storyline made him realise how sobering the disease can be, and he plans to book a PSA test himself.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, with 64,000 new cases each year, predominantly in men over 50. One in eight men will be affected, with the risk doubling for Black men. The disease often has no early symptoms, but a PSA blood test can detect abnormalities, leading to earlier diagnosis and better survival rates.
Cain, 51, is told he requires urgent surgery, but is warned of potential side effects including incontinence and erectile dysfunction. With his wife Moira in prison, he fears telling his family, worried he will not be able to protect them. Hordley said: 'Cain is frightened of telling anyone. Everything is falling to pieces and he doesn't deal with his diagnosis at all well.'
The actor, married to fellow Emmerdale star Zoe Henry, is working with Prostate Cancer UK to raise awareness. He said: 'Soaps can play a hugely powerful part in raising awareness and if it encourages one man to get tested and find out they have this illness before it is too late – then that has to be a positive thing.'
