Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) is mentally and physically strong as an ox, but the one thing that could break her is anything happening to her family.
Enter Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and the scores of lies he’s been telling to keep her from the truth. As they unravel, will Moira unravel too?
The farm is failing and Cain has prostate cancer – two things Moira doesn’t yet know. But he’s reached breaking point and is inches from spilling the truth.
Moira can defend herself physically, as her weekly fresh black eyes show, but bouncing back from an emotional body slam will be tough even for her. Especially being ‘totally helpless’ in prison, as actress Natalie J Robb describes her.
Cain has been telling her every single visit that all is well at home. No mention of his illness or weakening body, no mention of Joe Tate’s (Ned Porteous) underhand tactics to commandeer the farm.
Cain has battled nearly losing a flock of sheep, and an outbreak of tuberculosis. He’s been stealing cars to try and make ends meet but getting himself caught in the process. All in all, his situation is the very definition of not good.
From Moira’s standpoint, everything is going swimmingly on the outside, allowing her to focus on surviving where she is. She tells Cain how grateful she is for all his hard work, while feels things crumbling around him.
Cain confesses to Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill), he’s done for.
Sarah has become his voice of reason and tells him exactly what he doesn’t want to hear – he needs to tell Moira. That way she can also come clean to Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) and save her own marriage.
But before Cain can do the honest thing, he’s in for a further scare when he goes for a wee and pees out blood. Terrified, he leans on Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson), who also tells him the best thing is to be honest.
Beaten down, Cain reluctantly heads to the prison and blurts it all out to his horrified wife. Moira is gutted – he kept the secret to himself and suffered for a whole month. She feels betrayed, but more than anything, she feels sad.
Actress Natalie J Robb said of Moira’s moment of discovery: ‘She’s just in shock and feels like her whole world
falling apart. He’s her rock, as much as she is to him, and it’s all about the family.’
She tells him he’s not done confessing yet – he needs to tell the kids. Moira also isn’t thrilled to hear that Joe is getting his hands on the farm. But pragmatic Moira tells Cain his health is more important than anything – the green light for him to finally give in if he needs to.
‘He wouldn’t like that at all,’ Natalie says of Moira’s urge for Cain to let go. ‘Because of the pressure that Joe Tate’s been putting on us, he’d see it as Joe winning. Moira just sees it as she’d be putting her family first. End of.’
It’s good timing as Cain is weaker than his usual self, having been floored in a minor scuffle with Graham.
Cain prepares himself to tell the wider family exactly what’s been going on.
It’s a weird turn of events for Cain; as he lays it all bare, his family turn it back on him in a way he doesn’t expect – with Sam Dingle (James Hooton) telling him how much he is loved. Cain struggles with this show of emotion and has to excuse himself.
Finally, there is a smidgen of good news on the horizon. He learns the TB outbreak is contained and they won’t lose the flock. With everything now all out in the open, will Cain be able to carry on?
