Cain Dingle profile: Moira forgives Ruby affair, amid rumours he’s leaving Emmerdale
Jeff Hordley plays the most loved bad boy in Soapland
In Emmerdale Cain Dingle is the indisputable bad boy of the village and has been causing carnage for almost half a century!
Cain has a colourful backstory full of criminal capers and forbidden romances. He’s had affairs with a policewoman, a vicar, his own cousin – and his own brother’s wife!
Cain was finally tamed by feisty farmer, Moira Dingle, who he married in 2014. The couple remain together, but their journey to happiness certainly hasn’t been straightforward.
Last month, Moira discovered what we fans have known for a while – that Cain slept with Ruby. At first, Moira told him their marriage was done, but has now had a change of heart and told him she wants to give their marriage another go.
Cain’s arrival in the Dales
Cain arrived in Emmerdale on March 30, 2000 just months into the new millennium.
Introduced as the black sheep of the Dingle family, Cain showed his criminal tendencies early on. Manipulative and cunning, rather than evil to the core, Cain’s speciality was always getting involved in scams.
But he’s not always got away with his crimes. Cain has been sentenced to prison on more than one occasion. His most recent stint inside was when he confessed to shooting Al Chapman, although it was soon discovered Cain wasn’t the guilty party.
Who is Cain Dingle’s dad?
A Dingle through and through, Cain is the son of Zak Dingle and Faith Dingle. Faith was married to Zak’s brother Shadrach Dingle, but had a one-night stand with Zak on Valentine’s Day 1974, the product of which was Cain. He had no idea Zak was his biological dad until it came out in true soap fashion while they were in the middle of a fight.
From his dad’s side, Cain’s got six half-siblings – Nathan, Sam, Belle and Tina – who recently returned to the village after almost three decades away. Plus he’s also half-brother to the late Ben and Butch Dingle. He shares mum Faith with Chas Dingle and Caleb Miligan.
Read more: The Dingle family tree explained – who’s who and who’s slept with who?
Cain’s kids
Cain is a dad of four, by four different women. He has one daughter, Debbie Dingle, and three sons, Nate Robinson – who is currently not speaking to his dad and has moved to Shetland, Kyle Winchester and Isaac Dingle.
After Faith walked out on her family, teenage Cain stepped up to care for his sister. Alcoholic Shadrach was not a good dad and regularly beat Cain, although he never harmed Chas.
When Faith came back into the siblings’ lives in 2017, Cain did not want to know. It took her terminal breast cancer diagnosis in 2022 to finally unite mother and son. He was with her when she took her own life in emotional scenes aired in October 2022.
Finding Caleb
She left behind a big secret: son Caleb, who came to the village to reunite with his brother and sister after Faith’s death. Chas had no idea he even existed and Cain didn’t catch on to his real identity until Caleb confessed he was Faith’s son by Frank Tate.
The brothers were at war at the start, but have reconciled and they’re beginning to build a relationship.
Cain and Charity’s history and how they are related
You could write a book on Cain and Charity’s dysfunctional relationship!
The second cousins had a fling when they were 14 and 13 respectively. This resulted in the birth of their daughter, Debbie in October 1989, who was subsequently given up for adoption.
Debbie came to live in the village in the Christmas of 2002 when she was fostered by Paddy Kirk and his then-wife, Emily. She reconnected with her birth parents and the trio formed a close bond.
The return of their daughter prompted Cain and Charity to give things another go. They somehow managed to make it work until 2005, when Charity ditched Cain – and the village – for a fresh start elsewhere.
She returned four years later. The pair rekindled their romance and Cain popped the question in December 2009, presenting Charity with a plastic engagement ring.
Cain then planned a surprise wedding. But Charity decided she wasn’t ready to settle down and called their engagement off.
The pair finally called it quits shortly afterwards when Cain strayed with glamorous Faye Lamb and Charity left him for Jai Sharma.
Since then there’s been a few cheeky liaisons – including a brief affair in 2016 – but no long-term reunion, much to the disappointment of some fans who believe Cain’s heart truly lies with Charity.
Forbidden affairs
Cain Dingle has amassed quite a few notches on his bedpost during his time in Emmerdale and has a speciality for stealing other bloke’s wives!
His first entanglement was an ill-fated one with married police officer, Angie Reynolds. Their toxic affair was fuelled by lust and revenge – on both sides – and Cain even bedded Angie’s teenage daughter Ollie in a bid to try and make her jealous.
Tragedy struck in 2002 when Angie tried to set Cain up for robbery, but was fatally injured in a car crash.
Cain’s penchant for a bit of posh also led him to sleep with Jimmy King’s wife, Sadie.
His next conquest was student and barmaid Jasmine Thomas. Cain ruthlessly bedded her to try and get back at daughter Debbie.
Maisie Wylde was the next local lass to fall for Cain’s charms. He then finally got his wicked way with ice queen Faye Lamb.
When Charity chucked him for Jai Sharma in 2010, Cain went on the rebound and slept with teenager Amy Wyatt. This resulted in her falling pregnant with their son, Kyle.
Cain then briefly dated Priya Kotecha, but things fizzled out between them.
Then came the affair, which turned into the greatest love of Cain’s life…
The taming of Cain Dingle in Emmerdale
In 2011, Cain embarked on a torrid affair with Moira Barton, who was up until that point happily married to farmer husband John.
After John’s death in 2012, the lovers resumed their relationship. Cain proposed in October 2013.
The couple got married the following year, but old habits die hard and Cain was back in Charity’s bed by 2016.
Moira forgave Cain’s affair, but this Dingle is a repeat offender – and was soon having it away with the village vicar, Harriet Finch.
After that fling ended badly, Cain found his way back to his wife and the couple even survived Moira’s scandalous affair with Nate Robinson – who turned out to be Cain’s long-lost son.
Their marriage hit a bump again recently when Moira began behaving strangely. But though Cain was unsupportive at first, when Moira was diagnosed with a brain tumour, he was devastated and he’s been by her side ever since.
Cain’s brushes with death
Cain might as well be called the terminator of Emmerdale, he’s escaped death that many times!
In December 2011, one of Emmerdale’s biggest whodunits was launched when Cain was attacked and left for dead by one of his many enemies. The storyline, dubbed ‘Judgement Day’, saw Cain end up in coma.
It was eventually revealed that Cain’s own dad, Zak, was the culprit. Cain went on to make a full recovery. Zak later had a mental breakdown as a result of his actions.
Another near-death moment came when Moira’s son Adam Barton set fire to Cain’s garage with him inside. It was payback for him destroying his parent’s marriage – but Cain lived to tell the tale.
More near misses!
Cain was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm in 2014. He almost drowned in a freezing cold river after ignoring doctor’s advice to have it operated on.
He also survived a huge explosion on a boat after trying get his revenge on Nate for sleeping with Moira.
Most recently he had a to-the-death fight with nephew Aaron Dingle. Cain almost had the upper-hand, but Aaron dealt a devastating final blow that landed Cain in hospital with a brain injury. He survived, however, and checked himself out against doctor’s orders the next day.
AND he even braved the raging barn fire back in September, to rescue Moira.
Saving Kyle
Cain might have made a lot of mistakes in life, but he’s proved himself to be a decent dad. Daughter Debbie and son Nate grew up estranged from Cain, but he’s since rebuilt a relationship with them.
His young son Kyle Winchester was also adopted and was brought up by his adoptive grandmother Joanie Wright until her death. Cain at first did not want anything to do with his son, but after much coaxing from his family, he finally took custody of him in 2018.
Although bonding has not been straightforward, Cain committed the ultimate sacrifice in 2022. He took the fall for Kyle over the shooting of Al Chapman. Kyle had witnessed his dad and Al in a fight and pulled the trigger to stop Al killing his Cain.
Cain served time in prison for murder, but Kyle later confessed it was him. Despite Moira, Amy and Cain all insisting Kyle kept quiet and Cain was to take the rap, it didn’t happen and Cain was released.
Who plays Cain Dingle and who’s he married to in real life?
Cain Dingle in Emmerdale is played by British actor Jeff Hordley. He was born on March 7, 1970 and raised in Oldham, Manchester.
Jeff attended North Chadderton Comprehensive before graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University School of Theatre with a BA (Hons) degree in Theatre Acting.
His first TV appearance was in an episode of the kids’ hospital drama, Children’s Ward.
Emmerdale isn’t Jeff’s first Soapland rodeo either. The actor has starred in two episodes of Coronation Street. He played a nightclub manager in 1997, then a character called Wayne the year after.
In real-life, Jeff is happily married to his Emmerdale co-star Zoe Henry, who plays vet Rhona Goskirk.
The couple have been together for 30 years after meeting when they were students at the same drama school. They have two teenage children – daughter Violet and son Stan.
Jeff has a side-line career as a DJ. He’s also a very keen gardener, growing his own produce on the family allotment.
Is Cain Dingle leaving Emmerdale?
Right now, there’s concern from fans of both Emmerdale and ITV stablemate Coronation Street about characters leaving the soaps – due, in part, to the announcement of multiple exits from the network favourites.
There’s been further worry from Emmerdale fans due to the huge February storyline involving the limo lake crash.
Jeff Hordley has previously said about his future on the show: “I worry all the time! …Not all the time, that’s a little over the top.
“Every time there’s news of this [exits] it can settle us as a cast because we know the shelf life of characters in not forever on soaps, and it’s down to the producers and writers to steer the ship and take us in the direction they want to take us.”
Emmerdale without Cain seems unimaginable, and there’s all the fallout from his affair with Ruby and his part in covering up Anthony’s murder on screen right now, so we can’t see him going any time soon – thankfully!
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