Emmerdale legend Jeff Hordley has hit out at fans’ criticism of Cain Dingle.
Jeff Hordley, 51, has been an Emmerdale stalwart for over two decades and many fans will remember when he first joined the soap as an out-and-out bad boy. In more recent years, the character has evolved and some have been critical of Cain Dingle becoming ‘too mellow’.
As the Express reports, acting star Jeff, recently appeared on Mik Artistik’s Ego Podcast discussing his time on Emmerdale - with particular focus on his three-year break from 2006.
You can find out all the latest Emmerdale news and gossip by visiting our homepage dedicated to the soap
Jeff said: “I think the three years out was the best thing to happen for the character because it created more layers.
“He nicked loads of money and he went to Spain and then he came back.
“The producer at the time thought, ‘I want to integrate him into the village’ because before that he was this lone maverick who lived above the Dingles and grunted at people and didn’t speak to anyone apart from his family.”
Jeff said he became conscious of repeating the same storylines over and over with Cain ‘scowling’ at other characters.
Can't see this survey? Click here
Although, some Emmerdale fans do wish we’d see a little of the old Cain more often.
“As the years have gone on he’s mellowed because the older you get you do mellow and that’s realistic,” Jeff explained.
“I think sometimes you see people who love the show and go, ‘I prefer him when he was nasty.’”
Jeff concluded: “But it’s not realistic because if he was like that all the time in a few years he would do something so bad he’d have to get written out of the show.”
To get the latest email updates from LeedsLive, click here.