Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley has been open about his private life with wife Zoe Henry over the years
Jeff Hordley is married to Emmerdale co-star Zoe Henryย (Image: Getty)
Jeff’s proposal to Zoe
Having first met over two decades ago at drama school, a romance swiftly developed between Jeff and Zoe. Growing ever stronger, Jeff proposed to Zoe in 2002 immediately after she secured Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Manchester Evening News’s theatre awards.
He told the publication: “I had been planning to propose for 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 have been together for yearsย (Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Jeff and Zoe’s wedding
The smitten pair Jeff and Zoe subsequently married in 2003 at the magnificent Hedingham Castle, before celebrating afterwards at the Swan Hotel in Lavenham. Amongst the attendees were several recognisable faces from Emmerdale, including Emma Atkins, who portrays Cain’s former flame Charity Tate, and Charley Webb, better known as his on-screen daughter Debbie.
In 2005, Zoe and Jeff then welcomed a daughter named Violet into the world. Three years later in 2008, they had a son called Stan, and the family now reside in the Yorkshire Dales.
The pair went through heartbreak a few years agoย (Image: Zoe Henry Twitter)
Jeff and Zoe’s ‘awful’ family loss
Zoe and Jeff are passionate animal enthusiasts and have owned numerous pets throughout the years. In 2020, Jeff announced the family had taken in a puppy called Ronald.
Speaking on Loose Women at the time, he said: “He’s kept us busy and is a great focus for us as a family. We’ve got another dog called Rita, who’s a cockapoo and she’s nine, and Stan said the other day -because he’s 12 – he kind of said: ‘You know I don’t remember Rita being a puppy.'”. Jeff continued: “So he’s getting to relive the experience – the full experience – of having a young dog again, which is great.”
Tragically, in 2024, the family endured a heartbreaking loss when their beloved dog Rita died. During an appearance 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 explained. She continued: “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 shock diagnosis
Jeff was given a life-changing diagnosis years agoย (Image: ITV)
When Jeff turned 18, he received a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease and has since endured multiple hospital admissions as a result of his condition. He had been suffering from stomach cramps and diarrhoea for six years before doctors identified the illness. Speaking to Express.co.uk in 2009 he revealed: “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 received his diagnosis after his GP referred him to a specialist at Manchester Royal Infirmary. In 2019, Zoe discussed her husband’s condition and poignantly disclosed that the diagnosis has transformed their lives. Speaking on Loose Women, Zoe said: “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 highlighted one specific activity that assists Jeff in managing life with Crohn’s disease – their allotment. She said: “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!”.
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX
