Beth Cordingly was thrilled to join Emmerdale, despite the distance separating her Brighton home from the Leeds set. But her soap star partner knew just what to do to help.

Beth Cordingly says she’s lucky to have her partner Ian Kelsey’s support and the former Dave Glover star knew just what to do to help her nail Ruby’s role in Emmerdale.

Two decades after making waves as troubled Sara Warrington in Family Affairs, Beth Cordingly is back on familiar ground with Ruby Fox-Miligan on the ITV soap.

The actress joined Emmerdale in January 2024 and has quickly become a fan favourite, bagging Best Newcomer at the TV Choice Awards last month.

“It felt like Sara but 20 years on,” she says of her character Ruby. “It’s a gift of a part.” Ian Kelsey, who made his own mark in the village as Dave Glover in 1994, encouraged her to dive in, believing it could be life-changing.

A year into her role, Beth agrees, praising the show’s efficient production and supportive crew. “The crew is incredible,” she says. “It’s like swans gliding on water – everything appears calm, but underneath, there’s a flurry of hard work. And yet, there’s never any panic.”

Beth’s collaboration with partner Ian has been a game-changer, especially when refining Ruby’s key scenes with the Dingles, particularly when the troublemaker attempted to make peace with her new family by buying them air fryers.

“He worked with me on the script,” she says. “Because we both really enjoy working on things together. To be in a relationship with someone who you can do this with, it’s really special. I’m very lucky.”

Ruby’s most recent storyline, which saw her abusive on-screen father Anthony being revealed as her daughter Steph’s biological dad left the biggest mark on Beth. “It’s a subject that I feel really really passionate about and always have,” she says. “I was really pleased to be taking on that story.”

That gratitude has resonated with fans. Initially met with skepticism for her alter ego’s abrasive nature, Beth has noticed a transformation in the audience’s reaction.

“A lot of people contacted me and said: ‘I hated you when you first came in but I’ve fallen in love with her because I understand why she’s like this,’” Beth says.

Her Instagram, where she connects with 64.7k followers, has even become a safe space for genuine conversations. “When Ruby’s backstory was revealed, about one in every ten comments was from a survivor sharing their own story with me,” Beth says.

Despite Ruby’s frequent clashes with other characters, Beth has found warmth and friendship off-screen. She speaks fondly of co-stars like Chas Dingle actress Lucy Pargeter and Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain. Though she wasn’t keen on Ruby romping with the hardman.

“When I found out they were going to sleep together, I jumped on my feet,” she says. But she guarantees the tryst was only a fluke. “The love story is Cain and Moira, Caleb and Ruby. And this is a massive hand grenade thrown into the middle of it,” she says.

Her bond with Natalie J. Robb, who plays Moira Dingle, extends far beyond the set. “I’ve just spent the week at Natalie’s with my little girl,” she says.

Life in Emmerdale’s bustling world means Beth often finds herself splitting time between filming in Leeds and home life in Brighton. The physical distance can be challenging, especially for her eleven-year-old daughter.

“It’s tough sometimes working so far away from home, I won’t lie. I know it’s hard for her,” she says, “But she’s amazing, she says to me ‘it’s your dream and I get it. I just wish you were a teacher.’”

Ian and Beth have been dating since 2021

The separation, however, brings balance. “It’s like having two different worlds. I also have been doing this for 25 years now so I’m used to handling it,” she says. “You find your own way to separate two things.”

She also admits that crying when the urge strikes helps her decompress from her intense storylines. “I cry a lot in real life, it’s a joke with my own family,” she says, “My daughter doesn’t even notice when I’m crying now. Most people just laugh at me when I’m crying because it happens so much.”

An avid writer with an MA in Creative Writing, Beth’s short story Marianne and Ellie was published in an anthology in 2009. She even won a short story competition for another story about Amsterdam titled The Bike Ride.

Beth has since completed two novels that remain in her saved drafts on her laptop, unread. The two manuscripts have become another running joke.

“One of my best friends works in publishing and he jokes that he has an industrial shredder,” she says, “he says I may as well get rid of my novels!”

But all Beth needs is a little time to get her ducks in a row. “I’m really bad at multi-tasking but I really enjoy writing,” she says, “If I wasn’t acting, it’s probably the thing I’d most enjoy doing.”

When she’s not on set, Beth’s passions lie in yoga and exploring the world. A love of travel, instilled by her mother, has taken her from three-month adventures in Africa at 18 to cross-country train trips across the United States at 20.

One of her most cherished memories is dancing through the streets of Havana, Cuba, slipping in and out of local homes during a lively street party. “I enjoy off-the beaten track travel,” she says, “You learn more when you’re around other people.” She also enjoys the thrills of driving motorbikes, though she prefers being a passenger.

Much like Ruby, Beth admits to having “a terrible temper” but balances her inner fire with grounding practices and a deep belief in the existence of energy connecting us all.

“I’m very spiritual and I’m getting into energy,” she says, “You can be thinking about someone and they’ll ring you, I often have this with Ian or my mum! It’s all energy.”

Once a self-confessed people-pleaser, Beth has worked hard to free herself from the pressures society places on women – especially in the entertainment industry.

“As an actor, you can feel it very strongly,” she says, “Back when I was on The Bill, the first thing people would say to me was ‘you’re much thinner in real life.’ But as an actor, you’ve got to have thick skin, you wouldn’t survive otherwise.”

At 48, Beth has fully embraced her authentic self. “I can be too loud or different,” she says, “But I’ve realised I don’t have to care so much about what people think of me – and, as it turns out, they actually like me.” If only she knew how much!