Emmerdale has been a staple on our screens for almost 50 years and has seen a number of iconic characters come and go – but some of the cast have faced tragic health battles
Emmerdale has cemented its position as one of Britain’s most treasured soaps – yet several of its beloved stars have faced heartbreaking health struggles.
Since the ITV drama first aired back in 1972, it has brought viewers countless memorable characters and performers, including Jeff Hordley who portrays Cain Dingle and Claire King in her role as Kim Tate.
Yet, regardless of the celebrity status and wealth the cast members have gained, they have faced personal challenges away from the cameras over the years, reports the Daily Star.
From cancer diagnoses to enduring debilitating conditions, we examine the adversities that Emmerdale actors have overcome.
Michael Parr
Michael Parr – who portrays Ross Barton in Emmerdale – disclosed in 2024 that he had previously been taken urgently to hospital after becoming unwell and spending four days in a hotel room experiencing hallucinations.
The performer was in India at the time shooting a Bollywood production.Mike told the Mirror: “I dropped about 20lb in four days and my cheekbones were starting to protrude.
“I’d been in my room hallucinating for four days. I didn’t know what was going on. I was delirious. I’m a massive chess player and I was so out of it I kept thinking I was a chess piece.”
After arriving at hospital, medical staff suspected he had contracted Legionnaire’s Disease. They administered treatment for severe dehydration before placing him on a drip. He added: “Being taken to hospital in a foreign country is always scary, but especially when you can’t communicate with the doctors.”
Leah Bracknell
Former Emmerdale actress Leah Bracknell received a stage 4 terminal lung cancer diagnosis in 2016. She portrayed Zoe Tate on the ITV soap from 1993 to 2005.
During this period, supporters collected £50,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to fund Leah’s treatment in Germany after NHS options were exhausted.
Tragically, in 2019 she learned she had mere months remaining, and wrote a ‘cancer rebel manifesto’. She declared: “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.”
Heartbreakingly, Leah passed away in October 2019 at the age of 55.
Jeff Hordley
Soap star Jeff Hordley – who portrays Cain Dingle – received a Crohn’s Disease diagnosis in 1996. The 55 year old has been managing symptoms since age 20 and has undergone multiple hospital admissions because of his illness.
Jeff, who is wed to Emmerdale colleague Zoe Henry, got his diagnosis shortly before finishing his degree. He had been suffering stomach cramps and diarrhoea for six years before receiving confirmation.
He also disclosed that his mother had succumbed to the same illness in 1979, causing him to worry he would also perish, stating: “My reaction was, ‘Am I going to die too?'” Medics assured Jeff that her death had resulted from surgical complications – and that advances in medicine meant his condition could now be treated more effectively. After his diagnosis, he underwent an operation to remove the affected section of his large bowel and allow his “gut to heal”.
Claire King
Emmerdale’s Kim Tate star Claire King has spoken candidly about her struggle with rheumatoid arthritis through the years. Claire revealed to OK!: “When I was first diagnosed I was worried, as I was ignorant to the ins and outs of it. I was only in my twenties.
“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 killer heels for more than five minutes.
“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.”
She also revealed: “I struggled to go to work and do the things I love, like horse-riding, because of the terrible pressure it put on my 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.”
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm
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