Emmerdale’s Zoe Henry on what it’s like having dinner with her two husbands

EMMERDALE star Zoe Henry faced her toughest filming day for a brutal assault scene – and then the weirdest dinner ever.

Zoe, 43, plays vet Rhona in the ITV soap and this week will see wedding day joy turn swiftly to horror with a shocking rape assault by new husband Pierce (Jonathan Wrather).

Shooting the attack was a draining experience but Zoe says that, strangely, Jonathan then popped round for a meal with her and real husband Jeff Hordley, 47, who is show bad boy Cain.

“Jonathan stayed over with us quite a few nights during this as they were very long working days and his young family live on the other side of the Pennines,” Zoe told iN10.

“So you have this very bizarre situation of the man who has attacked me then coming for dinner.

“I came home on the day of the attack and I was covered in bruises.

“It wasn’t Jonathan’s fault at all, I just bruise really easily and we did the scene quite a few times.

“There’s Jeff having cooked us a gorgeous kedgeree saying, ‘Oh, you’ve really bruised my wife today!’

“It was a very surreal situation with my pretend husband and my real husband sitting round the table together after this dramatic day.

“But Jeff obviously knows that’s just how it is. We’ve had actors staying over, too, that he’s been having an affair with on-screen.

“For most people that would sound odd but to us it’s just the norm.”

Unknown to Rhona, Pierce has overheard her talking with her ex Paddy about a drunken snog.

And his increasingly manipulative ways finally snap behind closed doors just after the wedding and while the rest of the villagers are still happily celebrating in the Woolpack.

Zoe, who is a chatty, friendly delight, says she and Jonathan spent every spare moment for a week going over their lines and moves to ensure it was second nature on the day.

“This is brave and honest and a bit raw,” admits Zoe. “It was hard and Jonathan and I had to try and find a bit of lightness between scenes because it can really get to you.

“I was emotionally wrung out afterwards because the attack is very physical and quite brutal.”

To ensure accuracy Zoe and all the Emmerdale team worked with organisations involved in abuse and assaults.

“We’ve been heavily involved with Rape Crisis and Women’s Aid,” explains Zoe.

“We’ve had lots of case studies sent through and I’m in touch with a lovely lady at Women’s Aid who has been really open about how the storyline is helping.

“She’s told me of people who are facing this for real just now and are finding it really hard to come to terms with what they are facing.

“They are having to look at leaving what often, to the outside world, seems like a loving relationship.

“It’s a very sensitive subject and I’m proud that Emmerdale have taken this on and also taken the time to do it so well.”

Tough though it all was, Zoe was able to put it all behind her as soon as she got home to Jeff and their two young kids, Violet, 12, and Stan, nine.

“I’ve got a very normal life away from work with my husband, kids, dog and allotment.

“I use all those things to unwind. I love gardening and I love being outdoors, so that helps take you away from it.”

And Zoe can’t help but laugh as she admits how quickly family and domestic life takes over.

“We have two great kids who couldn’t give a hoot what we do and don’t watch the show.

“Violet is at the stage where she’s not just embarrassed about what we do but just that we are her parents.

“She’s very definitely a ‘tweenager’. They are both a great antidote to a full-on week. Everything we do is about them.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids. But we work to earn money to hang out with our kids.

“It really is all about them.”

Emmerdale, ITV, Mon- Fri.