Emmerdale’s Cain Dingle actor Jeff Hordley reveals surprise off-screen connection to soap bad boy Caleb

EMMERDALE’S Cain Dingle actor Jeff Hordley has revealed his surprise connection to soap bad boy Caleb Milligan.

The ITV favourite, 53, opened up on their off-screen friendship during Thursday’s Lorraine.

Caleb, played by William Ash, 46, arrived in the Emmerdale village on Christmas Day 2022.

Since then he has caused a whole host of chaos with the character now left for dead after a brutal attack which saw him pushed off a cliff.

This has sparked a major whodunnit plotline with fans quick to offer their theories about the culprit.

Lorraine entertainment presenter Jake Quickenden, 34, headed to the stunt set in the Dales to try to find out and uncovered a sweet off camera secret.

He quizzed Jeff, who play’s Caleb’s on-screen brother Cain, and said: “You actually went to school together, you’re both from Oldham?” to which Jeff replied: “We did yeah.

“We did a play together at school yeah.”

The pair both attended North Chadderton School in Oldham in their youth.

Recently, Will revealed Caleb’s regrets after he was left for dead.

Speaking to The Sun after landing the role of Caleb, Will also revealed how his soap connections off-screen meant he wasn’t nervous about the role.

He told us: “I’ve met a lot of the actors who play those roles before. 

“I knew Lisa Riley from Oldham Theatre Workshop, so it was less daunting having known those people than if I didn’t know anybody.

“Lucy Pargeter, too, I worked with her a long time ago as well. So the people I was working with I had a bit of a relationship with so I wasn’t as scared as probably I should have been.”

In 2023, Will’s character Caleb became a big part of the storyline when it was revealed that the late Frank Tate was in fact his father.

It came to light that his mum Faith Dingle had a love child with Frank, and he was their son.

Meanwhile actor Will kicked off his career alongside Robson Green in hit ITV drama Soldier Soldier in 1997.

After this he landed a plum job on Where the Heart Is (1997–1998), followed by Clocking Off (2001–2002) and then Waterloo Road (2009–2011).

On the big screen, he’s starred in Mad About Mambo (2000) and Hush (2008).