Emmerdale fans sobbing as Cain Dingle confirms heartbreaking family death

Emmerdale viewers were left in tears as Cain Dingle, played by Jeff Hordley, delivered the devastating news of Zak Dingle's death. The tragic passing of Zak, portrayed by Steve Halliwell, was revealed to his son Cain on Monday (October 14).

Moira Barton (Natalie Robb) received a distressing phone call from Debbie (Charley Webb), informing her that Zak had died just moments before. Struggling to hold back her tears, Moira relayed the heartbreaking news to her husband, Cain.

In the following episode (October 15), Cain is taken aback by his father's sudden demise, having seen him only hours earlier. "I saw him this morning, and he promised he'd take it easy," he confided in Moira.

Moira responded: "He told Debbie it was the best morning ever, and then he nodded off in his chair with a big grin on his face, and when she went to wake him, she couldn't."

Cain was given the difficult task of informing the rest of the Dingle family about the tragic news. As Belle, played by Eden Taylor-Draper, and elder brother Sam, portrayed by James Hooton, shared fond memories of their father, they were interrupted by a visibly upset Cain, reports .

As he broke the news of their father's death to them, an emotional piano score played over a montage of Cain delivering the sad news to other family members, including Charity (Emma Atkins), Chas (Lucy Pargeter), Marlon (Mark Charnock), and Mandy (Lisa Riley).

The poignant scene left Emmerdale fans 'crying' and they quickly took to X to express their feelings. One viewer commented: "Definitely the saddest episode of # Emmerdale in history!"

One fan admitted: "Emmerdale got me crying again, especially when Cain told all the family about Zak passing away #Emmerdale."

Another was moved to tears, confessing: "I welled up a bit then... I haven't cried for years. #Emmerdale", while a different viewer shared their heartache: "That broke my heart. Must have been really hard for the cast/family. Having to go through him passing twice #Emmerdale."

One person expressed their sorrow, stating: "OMG Emmerdale, that was heartbreaking", and another echoed the sentiment, saying: "Oh my days, Emmerdale is actually heartbreaking."

The ITV soap is currently bidding a tearful farewell to the legendary Zak Dingle this week, following the passing of actor Steve Halliwell.

Steve, who had become synonymous with the role in the beloved Yorkshire-based drama for almost 30 years, passed away in December 2023 at the age of 77.

Since their introduction to the show in 1994, the Dingles have grown into Emmerdale's most extensive family, spanning several generations.

As the village comes to terms with Zak's death, his family and friends will gather to share memories and pay tribute to the cherished character.

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITVX, with an hour long episode every Thursday