Emmerdale actress Zoe Henry has opened up about the one co-star she never wants to work with – her real-life husband, Jeff Hordley. The revelation comes as her character, Rhona Goskirk, endures one of the soap's darkest storylines to date.
A Dramatic Start to 2026 in the Dales
The new year has brought relentless trauma for Rhona and her husband Marlon Dingle, played by Mark Charnock. Their world shattered upon discovering that Marlon's daughter, April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan), had been groomed into drug trafficking and sex work by the ruthless criminal Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) and his mother, Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths).
The vile pair cruelly extorted two thousand pounds a week from the desperate parents, promising to leave April alone. The situation reached a crisis point when Ray, defying Celia's orders to kill the teenager, instead gave April cash and told her to flee the village, leaving Rhona and Marlon sick with worry.
‘Professionally Disappointed, Personally Thrilled’
While fans hoped for a team-up between Rhona and Marlon's formidable cousin, Cain Dingle – played by Zoe's off-screen husband Jeff Hordley – to take down Ray and Celia, the storyline took a different turn. Zoe Henry admits she wasn't heartbroken to miss the chance for an on-screen partnership.
‘I don’t want to work with Jeff and he doesn’t want to work with me,’ the actress stated frankly. She added, ‘I also think my husband is a brilliant actor. I’m always keen to work with people that are brilliant and he is so it’s a double-edged sword, I suppose. Professionally disappointed, personally thrilled.’
Rhona Pushed to the Brink in Special Episodes
The drama is set to intensify in an upcoming week of special episodes in January 2026, where Emmerdale will rewind to Ray's last day alive. Three episodes will focus on the perspectives of the three main murder suspects: Rhona, Marlon, and Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy).
In Rhona's episode, a shadowy Ray confronts her at home as she despairs over April's disappearance. He cruelly taunts her by invoking the name of her abusive ex-husband, Pierce Harris. ‘Well it was particularly dark when he mentioned Pierce,’ Zoe explained. ‘That’s her Achilles heel… It just derails her any time his name is mentioned. This period in her life is just constant abject fear and panic.’
When asked if Rhona is capable of killing Ray, Zoe Henry believes she could be. ‘I think it’s that moment of desperation that there is no way out. And so, if I die or I sacrifice myself in the process of freeing my family, particularly my children, then maybe I’ll do it… She’s all in. She’s got to be otherwise, where will they be left?’
However, Marlon is equally a suspect. Zoe pondered how Rhona would react if her beloved husband was guilty: ‘I think she would fully understand why he’d done it… but whether she’d forgive him is a different matter.’
Praise for ‘Joyful’ Villains
Despite their characters being rotten to the core, Zoe Henry had nothing but praise for actors Joe Absolom and Jaye Griffiths. ‘Oh, it’s a joy. One of the biggest joys of this story is the appearance of Jaye Griffiths and Joe Absolom, who are both exceptional actors, so much fun to be with and so much fun to work on set with,’ she said, adding she wished the storyline had been longer.
As Ray and Celia meet their soap justice, the question of who killed Ray will keep Emmerdale viewers on the edge of their seats, with Rhona Goskirk firmly in the frame.
