Emmerdale’s Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) is currently the walking definition of the phrase ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’.

The beloved character was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year and went down a path of self-destruction as he struggled to process the life-changing news.

For Cain, this featured him stealing cars with Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) and basically having a go at anyone who dared to make eye contact with him.

Sarah and Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson), the only two people who knew about Cain’s cancer for a little while, pushed him to open up to Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb), but he was adamant that she didn’t need to know.

Everything changed though when Cain finally became aware that his behaviour was having an impact on the state of Sarah’s marriage with Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant). After a conversation with Liam, he finally decided it was time to tell Moira everything.

The episode where Cain told her about the cancer and the state of Butler’s was hugely emotional. Since then, he’s moved into Wishing Well with the boys, but Cain is still finding it difficult that his loved ones want him to express how he’s feeling.

It’s not the fact Cain would rather they didn’t care, it’s the fact that talking about what’s going on in his mind requires him to be vulnerable, something Cain isn’t very good at doing.

Things get worse for him this coming week as he heads to a support group appointment with men who have also received a prostate cancer diagnosis. Cain ends up leaving the meeting early because he hears someone complain about his relationship post-diagnosis, and is unable to contain his own worries.

When he gets back, Cain learns that Sam Dingle (James Hooton) forgot about his meeting regarding farm machinery. Stressed, Cain explodes with rage and then storms off.

Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) follows Cain home and finds him drinking. She tells Cain to look after his health, but he snaps again and throws the whisky bottle across the room, smashing Zak’s tankard to pieces.

There is a bit of progress, as Cain finally admits to Charity that he’s been trying to keep Moira’s old life together while she’s been in prison, but he’s failing.

In search of a distraction, Cain decides to reminisce about his relationship with Charity and comes onto her.

Fortunately, (seriously, thank goodness), Charity senses Cain’s turmoil and realises what he’s up to.

Trying to charm Charity – his literal cousin – is certainly a sign Cain isn’t coping with the thoughts in his mind right now.

Star Jeff Hordley describes his character as a man ‘on the edge’.

‘Why anybody would choose to bring his granddaughter into stealing cars when he knows what she’s got at stake with the baby coming, I don’t know, but it just goes to show how desperate Cain is at the moment’, he said.

‘This illness has really pushed him to the limit, because he needs to find a solution to the farm issue, and it’s not just that, it’s also getting Moira out of prison, getting her home, bringing the family back together, and then it’s the cancer on top of that.

‘So, he’s the man on the edge, and he’s doing things that he shouldn’t, or they shouldn’t, do.’