Emmerdale's Jeff Hordley has reflected on Cain Dingle’s character development over the two decades that he's been a part of the ITV soap.

Speaking to presenters Rochelle Humes and Phillip Schofield on This Morning recently, Hordley shared that he thought his character was "a bit two dimensional" in some of his earlier storylines on the soap.

"One of the best things about watching you is that when you started all those years ago, I think for the first six years, you would admit that [Cain] was not very layered," Schofield began.

"He was a grumpy guy who lived at the top with the Dingles and he was not integrated into the village," Hordley agreed.

emmerdale, cain
ITV

Related: Emmerdale's Leyla Cavanagh left worried by Suzy Merton's decision

"Then I left the show, came back after three years, and they began to integrate him and he became a little bit more likeable but his DNA had not changed," Hordley continued.

"He was a bit two dimensional, almost one dimensional."

Hordley joined the cast of Emmerdale in 2000 and later left the village in 2006, before he returned again in 2009.

In the same interview, Hordley opened up about his lockdown experience with his wife and fellow Emmerdale star Zoë Henry, admitting their allotment was a huge help in helping them cope.

cain dingle, emmerdale
ITV

Related: Emmerdale's Zoe Henry shares how she met husband Jeff Hordley

Speaking of the benefits the allotment had for the whole family, Hordley said: "I'm telling you, just during the whole COVID lockdowns... because that was a two-minute walk from our house.

"[The allotment] really helped Zoë and I. The dogs came over and the children came over with us. Just getting your hands in the earth, it's so good for you and mental health.

"Just watching something grow is such a positive experience, because it reaffirms life," he added.

emmerdale stars jeff hordley and zoe henry
Getty Images

During the interview, Hordley also discussed Cain and Chas' dramatic car crash, while the soap later revealed on its Instagram how the big stunts seen during its recent flash-forward week were performed.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV and streams on the ITV Hub.

Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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Harriet Mitchell

Reporter, Digital Spy

Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.