Emmerdale actress Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona Goskirk, is married to co-star Jeff Hordley who plays Cain Dingle, in real life
Emmerdale Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry’s romance including life-changing health diagnosis(Image: GETTY)
Zoe Henry is a beloved fixture on Emmerdale in the role of Rhona Goskirk, but what’s known about her real-life marriage to co-star Jeff Hordley?
The actress first graced our screens as Rhona Goskirk on the ITV soap back in 2001 and has been at the centre of numerous major storylines since.
Particularly recently, as she’s been emotionally devastated after her ex-lover Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) made a surprise comeback to the village earlier this year.
However, in Monday’s episode (April 6), Rhona finally made up her mind, informing Graham that she wanted to be with Marlon. Off-screen, Zoe is wedded to fellow Emmerdale actor Jeff Hordley, who portrays Cain Dingle.
Despite their fair share of trials and tribulations during their relationship, the couple have remained strong. Let’s delve into their life together, reports the Mirror.
Jeff on ‘making the moves’ on Zoe
The pair have been together for years(Image: PA)
Zoe and Jeff initially crossed paths at drama school and quickly formed a bond. “We got together at drama school. We’ve been together 28 years,” Zoe revealed on Lorraine in 2022.
She continued: “With the connection on set, we were together for 10 years before that as well. We got together in 1994, I believe.”
Jeff has also previously spoken about his first encounter with Zoe, confessing it was love at first sight. He told Soaplife magazine in 2011: “We met at drama school in 1994. I saw Zoe and realised she was the girl for me. I made moves and, fortunately, she said yes on that occasion too.”
Going from strength to strength, Jeff popped the question to Zoe immediately after she scooped Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Manchester Evening News’s theatre awards back in 2002.
He told the publication: “I had been planning to propose for a some time and thought to myself: ‘If she wins today, I’ll do it today’. When she won, I leaped out of my seat in front of her.
“Then it dawned on me that her winning meant that I had to propose – and that’s when the nerves set in. Fortunately for me, she said yes.”
Jeff and Zoe’s family
The family went through heartbreak a few years ago(Image: Getty Images)
The smitten pair Jeff and Zoe subsequently married in 2003 at the stunning Hedingham Castle, before celebrating at the Swan Hotel in Lavenham.
Amongst the attendees were some recognisable faces from Emmerdale, including Emma Atkins, who plays Cain’s ex-lover Charity Tate, and Charley Webb, known for her role as his on-screen daughter Debbie.
In 2005, Zoe and Jeff welcomed their daughter Violet into the world. They had a son, Stan, in 2008 and the family reside in the Yorkshire Dales.
But in 2024, the household endured heartbreak when their beloved pet died. Speaking on Lorraine in April that year, Zoe disclosed the family would be welcoming a new dog.
“We lost our dear old doggy Rita back in February, which was truly awful. It feels not the right time but it’s never going to be the right time,” Zoe shared. She added: “So Geraldine is arriving in the house on Friday. Not sure what’s going to happen but it’s going to be fun.”
Jeff’s health issue
Jeff was diagnosed when he was younger(Image: Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage) )
Jeff was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of 18 and has endured numerous hospital stays due to his condition. He had been suffering from stomach cramps and diarrhoea for six years before his diagnosis.
In 2019, Zoe candidly discussed her husband’s condition and poignantly revealed that the diagnosis has transformed their lives. Speaking on Loose Women, Zoe shared: “He was diagnosed when he was about 18, so he was 23 when I met him, and it’s sort of changed our lives.”
However, Zoe disclosed one particular thing that aids Jeff in managing life with Crohn’s disease – their allotment. She stated: “There’s a lot to be said about mental health and having your hands in the soil – that’s a big one for me.
“For Jeff, it’s the health benefits of eating what we’ve grown. It’s great to share with my kids as well. Not that they love it, they hate it. But I’m working on that!”
Jeff began to become conscious of his condition when he experienced stomach pain. Speaking to Express.co.uk in 2009 he confessed: “Even though I tried to avoid foods that upset my digestive system, such as coffee and Chinese takeaways, I was still sick and tired and I kept losing weight.
“I was a drama student in Manchester and sometimes I had to miss lectures because I was too tired. I even had to drop out of my final year plays.” The actor was diagnosed with the condition after being referred by his GP to a specialist at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Zoe on why she doesn’t like to work with Jeff at work
The pair rarely share a scene together(Image: Zoe Henry Twitter)
While Zoe and Jeff have appeared on Emmerdale for many years, their characters seldom share scenes together. During an appearance on Lorraine Zoe openly confessed “it’s great” not working with her husband on set.
Host Lorraine Kelly said that Zoe and Jeff “don’t have much to do with each other” on Emmerdale to which Zoe replied: “No, which is great. It just means we sort of have a separate existence at work and I think we both appreciate that and like that. The actress added: “We often do line learnings together but actually this time, what has just been amazing is taking the weight off at home.
“We have two kids, dogs and an allotment so [Jeff] is just managing that and he is about to get busy as I quieten down so we will swap the baton there.”
Zoe also said in 2017: “It’s quite funny because people think that we see each other all the time at work but it’s the complete opposite. Our characters are not friends and we don’t film many scenes together. We both really like the fact that we don’t work directly together and enjoy separate storylines.”
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX
