Emmerdale viewers devastated as Cain Dingle makes heartbreaking death announcement

Emmerdale viewers were left in tears as Cain Dingle announced the death of Zak Dingle.

On Monday (October 14), the tragic news of Zak's passing, played by Steve Halliwell, was revealed to his unsuspecting son Cain (Jeff Hordley).

Moira Barton (Natalie Robb) received a phone call from an upset Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) informing her that Zak had died just moments before. The farmer struggled to hold back tears as she relayed the devastating news to her husband Cain about his father Zak's death.

During the latest visit to the village (October 15), Cain was taken aback by his father's death, having seen him only hours earlier. "I saw him this morning and he promised he'd take it easy", he confided in Moira.

Moira responded: "He told Debbie it was the best morning ever, and then he nodded off in his chair with a big grin on his face, and when she went to wake him, she couldn't," reports Leeds Live.

Cain was given the difficult task of informing the rest of the Dingle family about the tragic news. As Belle, played by Eden Taylor-Draper, and older brother Sam, played by James Hooton, reminisced about their father, they were joined by a distraught Cain.

As he told them that their beloved father had died, classical music underscored an emotional montage in which Cain also shared the news with Charity (Emma Atkins), Chas (Lucy Pargeter), Marlon (Mark Charnock), and Mandy, played by Lisa Riley.

Emmerdale fans were left 'crying' by the heartbreaking scene and quickly took to social media to express their emotions. One viewer wrote: "Definitely the saddest episode of #Emmerdale in history!"

A second viewer was moved to tears, sharing: "Emmerdale got me crying again, especially when Cain told all the family about Zak passing away #Emmerdale."

A third admitted: "I welled up a bit then... I haven't cried for years. #Emmerdale", while another commented: "That broke my heart. It must have been really hard for the cast/family. Having to go through him passing twice #Emmerdale."

One fan expressed their sorrow: "OMG Emmerdale, that was heartbreaking", and another concurred: "Oh my days, Emmerdale is actually heartbreaking."

This week, the ITV soap bids a poignant farewell to Zak Dingle, its beloved character, following actor Steve Halliwell's death.

Steve, who portrayed the iconic role in the popular Yorkshire-set drama for almost 30 years, passed away in December 2023 at the age of 77.

The Dingle clan, first gracing our screens in 1994, has grown into Emmerdale's most extensive family, with several generations now well-established.

As the village comes to terms with Zak's death, his family will gather to share memories and pay tribute to the cherished character.

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITVX, with an hour long episode every Thursday