Beth Cordingly has opened up about the invaluable support she receives from her partner, former Emmerdale actor Ian Kelsey, after stepping into the role of Ruby on the ITV soap. After making a splash as Sara Warrington in Family Affairs two decades ago, Beth Cordingly feels like she’s come full circle with the role of Ruby Fox-Miligan. She joined the cast in January 2024 and has already captured the hearts of viewers, scooping up the Best Newcomer award at the TV Choice Awards just last month. “It felt like Sara but 20 years on,” Beth shared about her new character. “It’s a gift of a part.” Ian, known for his iconic role as Dave Glover back in 1994, was all for Beth taking the plunge, convinced it would be a transformative move for her career. A year into her stint on the show, Beth couldn’t agree more, lauding the show’s slick production and the amazing team behind the scenes. “The crew is incredible,” she enthused. “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.” Working closely with Ian has been pivotal, particularly when perfecting Ruby’s crucial interactions with the Dingles, including a memorable moment where the feisty newcomer tried to win over her new family by gifting them air fryers. “He worked with me on the script,” she shares. “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.”
Beth received the unwavering support of her real-life partner Ian Kelsey, who was once known as Dave Glove in Emmerdale
(Image: Instagram/@beth_cordingly)
The actress bagged Best Newcomer at the TV Choice Awards for her performance as Ruby Fox-Miligan in Emmerdale
Beth was deeply affected by Ruby’s most recent storyline, which revealed her abusive on-screen father Anthony as her daughter Steph’s biological dad. “It’s a subject that I feel really really passionate about and always have,” she admits. “I was really pleased to be taking on that story.” The audience’s initial scepticism towards her character’s abrasive nature has transformed into appreciation, Beth notes. “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,'” she reveals. Her Instagram, where she engages with 64.7k followers, has become a platform 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 discloses. Despite Ruby’s frequent on-screen conflicts, Beth has found warmth and friendship behind the scenes. She speaks warmly of co-stars like Chas Dingle actress Lucy Pargeter and Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain, although she wasn’t too keen on Ruby’s dalliance with the tough guy. “When I found out they were going to sleep together, I jumped on my feet,” she reveals. However, she assures fans that the hook-up was just a one-off. “The love story is Cain and Moira, Caleb and Ruby. And this is a massive hand grenade thrown into the middle of it,” she explains. She also chats about her close relationship with co-star Natalie J. Robb, who plays Moira Dingle: “I’ve just spent the week at Natalie’s with my little girl,” Beth says. Life as an Emmerdale actress isn’t without its challenges, especially as Beth splits her time between filming in Leeds and family life in Brighton. The distance from her eleven year old daughter isn’t easy. “It’s tough sometimes working so far away from home, I won’t lie. I know it’s hard for her,” she admits, before adding, “But she’s amazing, she says to me ‘it’s your dream and I get it. I just wish you were a teacher.'” Balancing her busy work schedule with her personal life is something Beth has learned over her 25 years in the industry. “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 confesses. “You find your own way to separate two things.” Beth also gets candid about her emotional release mechanism, saying, “I cry a lot in real life, it’s a joke with my own family,” and revealing, “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.”
