Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley has said he has been left “saddened” after learning of his co-star's exit from the show.
The 52-year-old actor, who plays Cain Dingle on the ITV soap, has been embroiled in an emotional storyline on the Dales in recent weeks, after his mum Faith Dingle was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Faith, who is played by Sally Dexter, initially kept her diagnosis a secret, but later shared it with her devastated children.
Emmerdale bosses have confirmed that the soap veteran’s exit will kickstart the special 50th anniversary episodes on the Dales – and Jeff’s character Cain is set to play a vital role in the tragic storyline. Executive producer Jane Hudson told the Liverpool Echo: “At the start of the month, we will be focusing on our Faith storyline, which is a huge storyline for us at the moment.”
Jeff said he had been devastated by on-screen mum's exit, adding: “My character is involved in the Faith storyline. I'm personally saddened at losing the brilliant Sally Dexter, but it will give us some great stories going forward. “I look forward to doing that and that is as much as I know.”
Actress Sally, who is now set to exit the Dales, has revealed the storyline has been "tough" to film, and that the cast and crew have been a great support.
But she also said her final farewell from Emmerdale will be far from dull, promising her character still has “a few madcap schemes” in store, in an interview with TV Times. She said of the exit storyline: “I think it is excellent. I haven't read the scripts for her death, but I'm hoping it's as positive as it can be. This isn't just a story about a cancer; it's a wider story about family.
“That great thing about death is the thing that happens before it, that thing called life, and all the love that goes with it. I'd love it if everyone watching had a little bottle of gin, to toast her!” Sally said that her character’s great-granddaughter Sarah will also help her learn that she can take pleasure in the smaller things in life.
She said: “That's a big learning curve for Faith. She looks at her world in a more appreciative way, and there's one very special moment between her and Cain.” She continued: “Some of the script reflects how I feel – she's hurtling towards her end and I'm hurtling towards the end of my time in Emmerdale.
“Even though I think it's the right thing, it's quite devastating because I'm going to leave behind people I really care about, like Jeff [Hordley], Lucy [Pargeter] and Natalie [J Robb]. It's extraordinary to be working with them. I don't just mean their acting abilities, but them as human beings.”
