Beth Cordingly’s character is currently at the centre of a hard-hitting storyline on Emmerdale as Ruby is haunted by the horrific sexual abuse she suffered.

Emmerdale actress Beth Cordingly has opened up about her character Ruby’s forthcoming storyline on the ITV soap, which delves into the traumatic experience of sexual abuse inflicted by her father, Anthony.

This week’s episodes will show Ruby grappling with the decision to reveal the results of a DNA test that will determine whether her husband, Caleb (Will Ash), or her father is the biological father of her daughter, Steph.

Discussing Ruby’s plight ahead of the upcoming episodes, Beth shared that Ruby yearns for reassurance that her deepest fear – Steph being her father’s child – is unfounded.

“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,” Beth explained.

The 48-year-old actress added that it’s a welcome development to finally share Ruby’s narrative with the audience, particularly after her character’s previous actions, including a revenge plot against Ethan Anderson, a scheme to take down Kim Tate, and infidelity with Caleb’s half-brother Cain.

“It’s lovely that the audience is now in on her story and able to go on the journey with her,” Beth 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.”

Beth approached her latest role involving an abuse storyline with determination and a sense of responsibility rather than trepidation. “It’s a subject that I feel, as many people do, very passionately about,” she reflected on the gravity of the narrative, reports the Mirror.

Her previous collaborations with Childline and the NSPCC have fortified her commitment to such significant topics.

She emphasised her approach to the portrayal, saying, “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.”

Meanwhile, Emmerdale viewers, ever eager to speculate, took to social networks earlier this month to express their concerns over a distressing potential revelation linked to the ongoing plot. Fans shared their unease over the possibility that Anthony could be revealed as Steph’s father.

One viewer expressed their discomfort vividly: “PLEEEEEASE don’t let Anthony be Steph’s dad, he’s vile. Makes my skin crawl. Proper feeling it for Ruby #Emmerdale,” they posted online.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays