Emmerdale favourite Jeff Hordley, who has played Cain Dingle for over two decades, has shared his axing fears ahead of the soap's 50th anniversary.
Cain is currently at the forefront of an emotional Emmerdale storyline as his mum, Faith Dingle (Sally Dexter) has been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.
Cain has always had a complicated relationship with his mother and originally refused to forgive her for his turbulent upbringing.
But now that he's facing the devastating loss of his mum, he's put the past behind him and the pair have managed to repair their relationship, while Faith focuses on trying to make her final moments more positive.
The long-running soap will commemorate its milestone birthday this October with a series of dramatic episodes involving a deadly storm that wreaks havoc across Emmerdale.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, Jeff revealed his worries about his soap future and warned that he could face the chop next.
Talking about the Emmerdale contracts he said: “They have got to keep the show moving and they’ve got to freshen up the show, and sometimes they do have to say goodbye to people and that is always upsetting. But one day I am sure it will be me, it could be me this year.”
Although the upcoming storylines for the 50th anniversary are being kept secret, we know that the Dingles will be a significant part of the soap's birthday.
Regarding the show's eventful birthday month, executive producer Jane Hudson hinted to What To Watch: "As we start our birthday month, we'll be focusing on Faith, which is a huge storyline for us at the moment. Then we will work our way into our storm week.
"The Faith story is emotional and heartbreaking. It's going to be huge across our 50th. Everybody involved in that story is pulling out some of the most amazing performances I've seen in a soap for a long time. So that's got a huge part to play."
Emmerdale continues weeknights from 7.30 pm on ITV — see our TV Guide for full listings.
