Speculation is rife among fans that stalwart Cain Dingle might be bowing out of the show.
Jeff Hordley, who has been portraying the soap legend since 2000, quickly became a fan favourite with his portrayal of one of ‘s most iconic characters.
‘s tenure in the village has been anything but dull, featuring prominently in numerous major plots ranging from intense family feuds to outright murder. The drama surrounding him has been particularly palpable recently, as viewers were left stunned this week when he was unfaithful to his wife Moira (Natalie J Robb) while she was undergoing brain tumour surgery.
Earlier this year, fans were gripped by the storyline where Moira was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumour. Since then, her husband Cain, played by Jeff Hordley, has been visibly tormented by the situation, culminating in Wednesday’s poignant episode (November 20), where he lost control as Moira was in surgery.
After drowning his sorrows in alcohol, Cain encountered Jimmy King (Nick Miles), leading to a violent confrontation after Jimmy accused Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) of lying about Tom (James Chase) abusing her, reports .
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Cain slept with Ruby this week (Image: ITV)
The altercation left Jimmy severely injured, but the drama escalated further when Cain, later in the garage, was surprised by Ruby (Beth Cordingly), who had assumed he would be at the hospital with Moira.
Confronted by Ruby, Cain asked, “Why you in my garage”, to which she retorted: “Someone I wasn’t bothered about seeing.” Their conversation quickly heated up, culminating in a fiery kiss between the two.
In a shocking twist, Cain and Ruby’s secret liaison was exposed, leading to an intense scene where they hurriedly adjusted their clothing, hinting at a scandalous encounter. The drama escalated in the episode aired on Thursday (November 21).
Tortured by remorse, Cain sought solace in visiting Moira at the hospital, where she was recovering from a successful surgery. In a surprising turn of events, spurred on by Nicola’s persuasion, Jimmy reported Cain to the law enforcement, which led to police arresting him right at the hospital.
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Fans have predicted a shock exit (Image: ITV)
After being taken into custody for questioning about the violent incident, Cain remained silent during the interrogation, opting not to respond to any queries before he was eventually released. However, Cain’s recent legal trouble has left fans apprehensive, with many concerned that this could lead to a lengthy prison sentence for the character.
Fan theories began swirling on an Facebook fan group, with one individual expressing disbelief: “Seriously! For the police to arrest Cain, when the patient Moira just had a major surgery!That does not happen in real life!”
The online discussion then took a speculative turn, as fans exchanged predictions about Cain’s potential departure from the show. One soap enthusiast speculated: “I can’t help but feel they setting up an exit for Cain? First sleeping with Ruby and now getting arrested.” Another chimed in saying: “They could be.” A third added solemnly: “It’s going to take a lot to redeem him in my opinion.”
airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm
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