Emmerdale star Katie Hill has exclusively spoken to Inside Soap about Cain Dingle’s storyline, which will see the beloved character battle prostate cancer. As one of soap’s most hard-knuckled figures, this will be a big change as he shows his vulnerable side.

In scenes soon to air, Cain will be devastated to receive an official diagnosis from his consultant. The news will prompt the village mechanic to lash out at Sarah and Liam before he retreats to the grave of his late dad, Zak Dingle.

With Cain’s cancer journey at its beginning, Katie – who plays Cain’s granddaughter, Sarah Sugden – is certain that the upcoming scenes will leave viewers feeling deeply emotional at Cain’s arc.

“It’s going to be a heartbreaking and a difficult watch at times,” said Katie, who has portrayed Sarah since 2017. “But because cancer is so prevalent in so many people’s lives, it’s an important story to tell.

“And as we know, Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain, is such an incredible actor, and getting to see him play out the story, it’ll be heartbreaking, but I know that it’s going to be an incredible performance.”

It’s yet to be seen whether Cain will confide in his loved ones, but Katie is confident that her character would be a source of comfort if she were to ever find out about her grandfather’s diagnosis.

“Sarah would be a good person for him to confide in, after everything she’s been through with cancer herself,” says Katie. “She would definitely find it really hard to hear because he’s such an important person to her.

“But Sarah is known for staying positive in these types of situations, so she’d definitely be there to support him every step of the way.”