Emmerdale star’s health battles from tragic d.e.a.t.h aged 55 to ‘invisible disease’
Away from the cameras, many Emmerdale stars have endured devastating health battles.
Emmerdale’s Cain Dingle was told he might have cancer.
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Emmerdale is widely praised for tackling real-life issues on screen, often shining a light on serious health conditions that affect its characters. Many of these storylines reflect struggles that, for some cast members, have also been experienced away from the cameras. During Monday night’s episode of Corriedale, Emmerdale legend Cain Dingle faced the frightening possibility that he may have cancer after doctors discovered a mass in his body.
While this storyline differs from his on-screen character’s journey, actor Jeff Hordley has faced his own significant health challenges in real life. He is not alone, as several other members of the Emmerdale cast have also opened up about their personal health battles.
Jeff Hordley
Jeff was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of 25 in 1996, after experiencing symptoms for several years. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel condition that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The actor originally believed he was suffering with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but knew something more serious was troubling him when he became too tired to attend lectures at university.
He became so ill that he had to drop out of his final year plays in order to try and overcome the condition. “Even though I tried to avoid foods that upset my digestive system, such as coffee and Chinese takeaways, I was still sick and tired and I kept losing weight,” he previously said.
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Following his Crohn’s diagnosis, Jeff underwent surgery to remove the affected section of his large bowel, allowing his digestive system time to heal. He later revealed that his mother had d.i.e.d from the same condition in 1979, a heartbreaking loss that heightened his fears about his own prognosis.
Reflecting on the moment, he admitted: “My reaction was, ‘Am I going to d.i.e too?’” Jeff is now an advocate for the condition and has campaigned vigorously to raise awareness.
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Adam Thomas
Adam Thomas has been battling severe Psoriatic Arthritis since early 2023, meaning he experiences chronic pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. His condition can be so severe that the actor admitted he sometimes needs his wife’s help to get dressed. “It’s been tough. I’m not overexaggerating when I say this but those two and a half years, every day I’ve been in pain,” he said in February 2025.
The soap star, who portrayed Adam Barton from 2009 to 2018, sought advice from several doctors to find a way to cope with the disease, admitting he has now found “a little bit of hope” by eating a carnivore diet.
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He said: “I feel like the inflammation is going down a little bit and I’m getting my life back which is the most important thing.” During an appearance on This Morning, Adam, 37, acknowledged that his condition is hereditary.
“That’s what worries me the most. My kids might possibly get this one day. So I’m doing everything and anything I can do now to try and find a blueprint, so if it does happen, then I can pass that information on,” the Waterloo Road star explained.
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Matthew Wolfenden
Matthew Wolfenden is best known for playing David Metcalfe on Emmerdale from 2006 until 2023. During his early days on the soap, the 45-year-old admitted he suffered from depression. “I suffered with depression from the age of 23 to 31,” he said. “There were various things going on in my life when I was 23 and that’s why I ended up going to the doctors.”
He recalled being given a prescription for antidepressants, but said the doctor did not suggest therapy. “Once you’re on antidepressants it’s very hard to come off them. It’s almost like a bandage. It’s like masking the fact that you’ve got depression,” Matthew explained.
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The star later revealed that his mood suffered after surgery for a back injury, with the recovery period leaving him bedridden and battling feelings of hopelessness.
“I got lower and lower and lower,” he revealed. “I had to quit my job. I was in the West End working as a dancer at the time. I had to take a sabbatical from that. I was on antidepressants for eight years.”
In time, Matthew was able to come off the medication and found support through talking therapy, which helped him confront the underlying issues he had been facing.
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Leah Bracknell
Leah Bracknell played long-running character Zoe Tate for 16 years before officially departing the soap in 2005. In 2016, Leah announced she had been diagnosed with stage 4 terminal lung cancer.
Due to lack of options available on the NHS, Leah’s husband Jez Hughes launched a fundraising page to help her access treatment overseas. With the help of fans, more than £50,000 was raised to help pay for her treatment in Germany.
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Tragically, the actress’s cancer treatment stopped working and she passed away aged 55 in 2019. In her final blog post, the star wrote a poem entitled A Cancer Rebel’s Manifesto for Life where she detailed going from a cancer “victim” to a rebel”.
“For I am a CANCER REBEL with a fierce heart, an independent mind, a warrior spirit, and an ocean of desire to keep on keeping on and making a difference and making a noise as long as there is sweet breath in my body. To LIFE. Long and sweet may it be for us all.”
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Claire King
Soap veteran Claire King has been open about her ongoing battle with rheumatoid arthritis over the years. “When I was first diagnosed, I was worried, as I was ignorant of the ins and outs of it. I was only in my twenties,” the Kim Tate star told OK!.
“Over the years, they’ve improved various treatments, so my doctors are very good. I manage it. I have various pills and injections every week, and I just get on with it. There are certain things I can’t do at work, like wearing k.i.l.l.e.r heels for more than five minutes.
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“And the costume department has to do up all of my buttons, as it takes me ages. Doing my hair and make-up takes me a bit longer too, as I’ve got metal in some of my fingers.” The 63-year-old admitted she struggled to go to work and take part in activities she enjoyed, such as horse riding, due to the strain it placed on her knees.
“I can certainly relate to the ‘invisible disease’ – although my symptoms don’t always show, it doesn’t mean I’m not in pain or feeling exhausted,” she added. In a heartbreaking admission to Health Awareness, Claire said: “You just think, ‘this is an old person’s disease, am I going to end up in a wheelchair?'”
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Gemma Oaten
In a raw admission, Gemma Oaten revealed she almost d.i.e.d four times during a 2021 interview with The Sun. The actress, 41, best known for playing the role of Rachel Breckle from 2011 to 2015, suffered with eating disorders for more than a decade. She developed anorexia at the age of 10 and was later admitted to a psychiatric unit, describing that period as her “darkest days”.
She admitted: “I nearly didn’t make it because of the eating disorder. I almost d.i.e.d four times. I spent a lot of my life in hospitals, eating disorder units and psychiatric units. Some of these places were backwards in their approach. The psychiatric unit I was in when I was 11 was brutal.”
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In 2022, Gemma revealed she was due to undergo “major dental surgery” after her long battle with bulimia and anorexia caused severe damage to her teeth. Writing on Instagram at the time, she said: “Another long term effect of my past catching up on me as I have to have all of my top teeth extracted due to the damage caused by the anorexia and bulimia.
“There is nothing glamorous about this devastating mental health illness, and there must be more done to help support those who desperately need help before it’s too late.”
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