Cain Dingle is set to get a visit from a ghost of Christmas past so to speak as his long-lost brother arrives in Emmerdale. It was revealed last month that ITV soap viewers will meet Caleb Miligan this festive season when he turns up unannounced to see Cain in prison where he is currently facing a hefty prison sentence for the murder of Al Chapman.
However, it’s far from a happy festive reunion as Caleb, who will be played by Waterloo Road star William Ash, has lots of difficult questions he wants Cain to answer. Caleb’s arrival is set to make things even worse between warring siblings, Cain and Chas, when it becomes clear that Cain knew of Caleb’s existence but kept it a secret from their sister Chas since they were teenagers.
Emmerdale's executive producer Jane Hudson has confirmed that Caleb's arrival will be on Christmas Day when he visits Cain in prison. Cain is behind bars after being accused of killing former enemy Al after learning of his affair with Chas. However, viewers, and a certain number of villagers, know that it was actually Cain and Amy Wyatt's son Kyle who is the real culprit.
"Cain is still in prison and he will get a visit from his brother on Christmas day," Jane confirmed to the Manchester Evening News and other press while giving a Christmas preview. "When Caleb visits Cain in prison, we'll discover that he knew Caleb exists and he's known about it for 30 years."
Emmerdale's boss then confirmed that this will lead to another flashback episode for the soap. "On Boxing Day we'll rewind to 1992 and we'll discover how Cain and Caleb first met, why Cain then rejected him from his life, and what was going on with Chas at that point."
And the scenes will feature three 'new' characters with three young actors taking on the roles of Cain, Chas and Caleb in the nineties. "We have three fantastic actors playing our young Cain, Caleb and Chas and the actor who played Cain, he actually studied lots of footage of Jeff [Hordley] and his positions and his poses and how he speaks," Jane revealed.
"It's incredible when you watch it. There's one scene where he leans against a wall and it's like, 'That's Jeff!' It's so bizarre." She then added: "So it's a brilliant rewind episode that will explain a lot about their family history. And as much as Cain wants Caleb to disappear for another 30 years, Caleb is not going to have that.
"He wants to meet his sister Chas, he wants to meet the rest of his extended family and could he be the answer to all the Dingles' prayers in regards to Cain being locked up? You'll have to wait to find out that one."
Jane also teased that the 'worst place' to keep a secret is in Emmerdale and that viewers will have to wait and see if the secret about Kyle will out and the 'consequences' if that happens.
Meanwhile, Emmerdale fans will no doubt recognize Caleb actor Will. He has a variety of television and film credits to his name, but viewers will probably most remember him for playing the roles of Christopher Mead in BBC school drama Waterloo Road and Steve Robinson in Clocking Off.
Speaking of joining Emmerdale, Will said: "I’m thrilled to be joining such an iconic show. Emmerdale is packed full of fantastic actors and I'm really looking forward to working alongside them. Caleb is a fantastically complex character and I can’t wait to get stuck in."
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