Emmerdale viewers were left emotional after a touching tribute aired on Wednesday.
The ITV soap paid homage to a beloved character, marking one year since their heartbreaking death.
It’s been a dramatic few weeks on the show, with John Sugden’s (Oliver Farnworth) crimes finally exposed. The villainous army medic infamously drove himself and his husband, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), off a cliff before blackmailing Caleb Miligan (William Ash) into helping him flee abroad.
After discovering that John had murdered his son, Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter), the previous year, Caleb’s brother Cain (Jeff Hordley) set off to Europe in pursuit of him.
On Wednesday (October 15), the long-running ITV series saw Cain return to the Dales after being arrested in Dover — leaving his wife, Moira (Natalie J Robb), deeply distressed.
After returning home from France in today’s episode — now available to stream on ITVX — Moira gently reminded Cain of his responsibilities and the fact that it marked one year since his father Zak’s (Steve Halliwell) death.
However, Cain appeared intent on self-destruction, while his siblings Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) and Sam (James Hooton) visited their father’s grave without him.
As the pair comforted one another and reflected on Zak’s memory, they shared their growing concern for Cain, who admitted that he hadn’t managed to find John during his time away.
“He did warn us, Cain. This time last year, he said, ‘You never forget seeing a dad grieve for his son.’ And look at us now,” Belle said.
“Why is this happening? Haven’t we been through enough already?”
Later, the Dingle siblings paid an emotional tribute to their late father. Sam said, “Alright, Dad. Not sure why I’m saying it like I don’t come to see you every day. It’s strange, isn’t it? Anniversaries somehow make it feel worse — like everything’s gone back in time to how it was, how it felt when it first happened.
“Sometimes I think it’d be easier to just forget, but I wouldn’t really want that. I’d rather miss you and feel the sadness than not care at all.”
Belle added, “We love you, Dad. I don’t think we ever realised how much you did for us. You were the glue that held us together, and you made it all look so easy. We’ll get there, though — and we’re going to look after Cain, even if he doesn’t want us to.”
The Emmerdale villagers came together last year to bid farewell to Zak, months after actor Steve Halliwell passed away at the age of 77.
Following today’s touching scenes, many viewers were left emotional, with several taking to social media to share their reactions.
“Aww, the tribute to Zak was so beautiful,” one fan wrote on a Facebook page.
Another commented, “I was in tears watching Belle and Sam at Zak’s grave,” while a third added, “Can’t believe it’s already been a year since Zak passed.”
A fourth viewer echoed the sentiment, saying, “Such lovely scenes on tonight’s Emmerdale — just a shame Cain wasn’t at his dad’s grave with Belle and Sam.”
- General Hospital’s Cameron Mathison Shares Behind-the-Scenes Christmas Movie Photos
- General Hospital Spoilers: Joss Struggles After Vaughn Vanishes – Will Someone Intervene in Time?
- General Hospital Spoilers: Trina Confronts Portia About Pregnancy Secret – Does Isaiah Overhear?
- General Hospital Spoilers: Is Britt Still Hurt Over Jason Picking Carly, or Is She Just Looking Out for Him?
- Two I’m A Celebrity contestants face major setback ahead of Sunday’s ITV finale
