EMMERDALE star Jeff Hordley has revealed that he’s been training for an epic stunt that will see one character “badly injured”.
The soap favourite, who has played bad boy Cain Dingle since 2000, teased that the storyline could be linked to villain Tom King, who has been abusing wife Belle for months.
While Jeff’s wife Zoe Henry, who also stars on the ITV soap as Rhona Goskirk, said her husband will take on a “massive stunt” involving fire later this month and it will end badly for one person.
The husband and wife duo also said that audiences will have to wait a few months before evil Tom finally gets his “comeuppance”.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun about his big stunt, Jeff said: “All I know is I’ve got to be quite fit for it. So I’ve got a little week’s break and then I’m going to be in the thick of it next week.”
While Zoe told us at the TRIC Awards: “I know he’s got a massive stunt in two weeks involving fire and I think someone will get quite badly injured in that.”
Soap star Jeff, 54, went on to praise actress Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays Belle Dingle, for her delicate performance after taking on the harrowing role.
“Eden has done an incredible job, we’ve always known how fantastic Eden Taylor-Draper has been since she literally came in when she was eight or nine years old – but she’s such a mature actress now and she’s grabbing this opportunity with both hands,” he said.
“You know when an actor is engaged when you’re in a story with them.
“I did a scene with her the other week and I was really blown away by what she was doing because she’s just so focused.”
When asked if Cain will get his revenge on Tom by bumping him off in a whodunnit plot twist, Jeff said: “I think the way this is going on, the audience will naturally will want Tom to get his comeuppance.
“It could be me or someone else [to get rid of him], but I’ve not read enough scripts yet, but there will be a conclusion to the story but I don’t think it’s for a while.
“I think it’s right because people who get abused by partners, it doesn’t just end after a few months, this goes on for a while and people keep quiet and live with it.
“I think it’s really timed the whole story.”
While Zoe said: “Somebody is going to get their comeuppance, we are not about to shoot it, it’s a little way down the line yet.
“He’s such a sweet guy, he is so lovely, he is wonderful,” she said about actor James Chase, who portrays abuser Tom.
While Louise Jameson, who plays Rhona’s mum Mary Goskirk, said the storyline was an important one to tell.
She told us on the red carpet: “It’s really important, soap is the safe place to debate those dangerous issues and domestic violence skyrocketed during the pandemic, so it’s an incredibly important story.
“Eden’s telling the story so delicately.”
And Vanessa Woodfield actress Michelle Hardwick shared: “It’s just the way this story is told behind closed doors like the dinner party episode and people at home realising and going ‘actually that’s happening to me’, no it’s not right.”
Although many Emmerdale fans will have to wait for a while for Tom to meet his bitter end, Zoe revealed that Matty Barton’s prison hell may be over soon.
She shared: “That’s probably about to culminate on screen in the next couple of weeks, it’s always very powerful when the audience is in possession of a secret when the characters in the village aren’t – it makes their story a bit more tragic and people connect to it.
While Jeff also told us that Emmerdale fans will see a lot more of his character on TV in the upcoming months.
He shared: “I’ve got a lot of stuff with Moira which is going to be really fantastic.
“It’s great to work with Natalie and similar like Eden, she’s been knocking it out the park and I’m lucky to just come along on the ride with her.”
