Emmerdale star breaks silence ahead of devastating child abuse storyline
Emmerdale star Beth Cordingly has opened up about her character Ruby's haunting new storyline, which sees her tormented by past sexual abuse at the hands of her father, Anthony. In this week's emotional episodes in the Dales, viewers will see a distressed Ruby confront whether to look at DNA results that could confirm if her beloved husband Caleb or her abusive father is Steph's biological dad.
Ahead of the dramatic reveal, Beth shared insights into Ruby's turmoil with The Mirror's We Love TV: "She wants that reassurance so she can move on. But she’s always had the fear, from the minute she got pregnant, that the baby may not be Caleb’s. She didn’t deceive him, she just desperately wanted it to be his," she explained.
The 48 year old actress also touched upon the weight of carrying such a heavy plot after Ruby's controversial behaviour – including running over Ethan Anderson, scheming against Kim Tate, and betraying Caleb with his half-brother Cain. "It’s lovely that the audience is now in on her story and able to go on the journey with her," she said. "I feel the audience will now understand her behaviour more. It’s a massive privilege to do a storyline like that, and we all really hope we’re getting it right."
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Beth wasn't intimidated by the challenge of portraying abuse on screen, sharing her commitment to the cause: "It’s a subject that I feel, as many people do, very passionately about," she explains. "I’ve worked in the past with Childline and the NSPCC, so it’s a subject that I wasn’t nervous about taking on."
She added, "It was more that you just really want to make sure that if you’re telling something like that, you’re telling it right. If it helps one person or can help one person feel validated, or admit ‘this happened to me’, then that would be a really amazing thing."
Earlier this month, Emmerdale viewers speculated on social media about the upcoming DNA twist in the plot, expressing their concerns that Anthony might turn out to be Steph's father. A fan commented, "PLEEEEEASE don’t let Anthony be Steph’s dad, he’s vile. Makes my skin crawl. Proper feeling it for Ruby #Emmerdale."
If you are 18 or under and have been affected by this story, you can contact Childline, confidentially on 0800 1111. You can also contact the NSPCC Helpline by phoning 0808 800 500 or emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. Catch Emmerdale on weekdays at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
