Emmerdale actor Jeff Hordley, who played Cain Dingle on the ITV soap for over two decades, has opened up about his battle with a chronic disease that has impacted his life

Jeff Hordley, best known for his role as Cain Dingle in the popular ITV soap Emmerdale, has shared how a simple lifestyle change has helped him manage his chronic Crohn’s disease without medication.

The 54-year-old actor opened up about his health battle on the Another Day Another Collar podcast. Crohn’s disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of parts of the digestive system, according to the NHS. It falls under the category of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

When asked by host Steve Mann if he was still an ambassador for Crohn’s disease, Jeff responded: “Crohn’s; no, I’m not anymore, but I was for years because I’ve had Crohn’s since I was 24, 25, and I’ve now managed to keep it under wraps because of diet.”

He went on to explain: “Certainly, like you were saying about, we eat very much seasonally; we eat from our allotment, from definitely June through to now.

“So that’s how I’ve managed to do it and exercise and things like that. I’ve managed to avoid any medication, which not every Crohn’s sufferer manages to do, but that’s the way I’ve managed it.”

Jeff went on to be an advocate who campaigned to raise awareness ( 
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Getty Images)
Jeff added that people look for “quick fixes” rather than looking at things “holistically”. Instead of taking note of their rest, exercise, and what they are “putting” into their bodies, he said they ask for a tablet, something he described as the “modern way.”

According to the National Health Service, Crohn’s disease is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 500,000 people across the UK.

Of this number, around 115,000 individuals are living with Crohn’s, based on data from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Jeff was diagnosed with Crohn’s after he sadly lost his mother, who also had the condition, and he went on to be an advocate who campaigned to raise awareness.

While on an episode of Loose Women, his wife, Zoe, opened up about her husband’s fight with the condition, saying it “changed [their] lives” and that Jeff was concerned it would prevent him from pursuing a career in acting.

Jeff Hordley explained how he manages to “avoid any medication” ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
As an ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis UK, Jeff reassured others by saying: “You are not alone if you are suffering from Crohn’s or Colitis… although sometimes you might feel as if you are.”

Crohn’s symptoms can range from diarrhoea and abdominal pain to blood in the stool, fatigue, and unexpected weight loss. The disease can cause flare-ups that are either persistent or sporadic.

The health service says you should visit your doctor if you notice poo in your blood, experience diarrhoea for more than seven days, have constant cramps or aches in your stomach, lose weight for no apparent reason, or your child isn’t growing as you’d expect.

You can learn more about Crohn’s disease via the NHS website here.