Is Cain Dingle leaving Emmerdale? Latest on Jeff Hordley future

Now, after being charged with Al's murder, Cain has been remanded in custody, with his wife Moira (Natalie J Robb) left to pick up the pieces back home and explain his absence to their children.

Cain is keeping quiet over his discovery of Al's affair with Chas (Lucy Pargeter) to protect the family, but Chas herself has disowned her brother in fury over his apparent killing of her lover Al.

Did Cain kill Al? And, if so, how will Cain get out of this one? Will Jeff Hordley's time on the ITV soap come to a close?

Read on as we consider what's next for Cain Dingle in Emmerdale.

Is Cain Dingle leaving Emmerdale? Latest on Jeff Hordley future

Cain Dingle actor Jeff Hordley has not been confirmed to be leaving Emmerdale.

As it stands, Cain looks set for a long stint in prison, as detectives are convinced of his guilt. And whatever happened inside that barn when the shotgun went off and claimed Al's life, Cain still brought the weapon along and lured the other man there, so it's looking unlikely that Cain will be walking free any time soon.

A trial seems to be on the horizon, but could this mean that actor Hordley will be bowing out of the role he has played since 2000?

Emmerdale has made no announcement of an imminent departure and when approached by RadioTimes.com, representatives for ITV made no comment.

But that doesn't mean Cain is definitely sticking around. Soaps have been known to air surprise departures, and Cain has taken screen breaks a number of times over the years. Perhaps, if found guilty, Cain will accept his fate and be absent from our daily dose of the Dingles for a while.

Or, if he is eventually exonerated, Cain could decide to disappear to be with his daughter Debbie (Charley Webb) in Scotland - where his father Zak (Steve Halliwell) is currently staying.

There's one more option we can't rule out, as the criminals of Emmerdale have a habit of breaking out of custody. So, could Cain do a runner and flee abroad? This would certainly be a compelling mystery for fans of the popular character.

Of course, with no confirmation of what will happen to Cain, he could be due to remaining on our screens after all - whatever his fate. Maybe we'll be seeing our fair share of the hardman as he adapts to life behind bars.

However, we can't imagine Emmerdale delivering prison scenes indefinitely, so there's always a chance he will be found innocent and return to his family. With sister Chas at the centre of this week's events, there would be plenty of drama to play out between the pair over the explosive secret.

Finally, the other big question is whether Cain was even the one to kill Al.

Could the bad boy be protecting another member of the family? Fans are already speculating that Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) may have killed Al before fleeing the village.

You'll just have to keep watching Emmerdale to find out what's in store for Cain.

Read more:

• Emmerdale's Cain charged with Al's murder as character death confirmed
• 5 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Nicola seeks justice as Naomi's in court

Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITV Hub. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Soaps hub.

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