Ruby might be scrambling to keep the lid on Anthony’s death, but off-screen, Beth Cordingly reveals she often sheds tears to unwind from the heavy plotline – much to the amusement of her family. “I cry a lot in real life, it’s a joke with my own family,” shares Beth, adding, “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.” Juggling her role in Emmerdale with her personal life in Brighton, Beth faces the challenge of managing her time between Leeds where filming takes place and being with her eleven year old daughter at home. “It’s tough sometimes working so far away from home, I won’t lie. I know it’s hard for her,” she confesses, “But she’s amazing, she says to me ‘it’s your dream and I get it. I just wish you were a teacher.'”. Despite the distance, Beth finds equilibrium between her bustling ITV schedule and home life. “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 explains. “You find your own way to separate two things.” Twenty years since her breakout role as Sara Warrington in Family Affairs, Beth has returned to the soap scene as Ruby Fox-Miligan in the Yorkshire-set drama.
Beth says she often cries when the urge strikes and her family have made the habit a running joke
Twenty years after portraying Sara in Family Affairs, Beth feels like she’s come full circle with Emmerdale’s Ruby Fox-Miligan
(Image: Channel 5)
Joining Emmerdale in January 2024, she’s quickly endeared herself to viewers, scooping up the Best Newcomer accolade at the TV Choice Awards in February. Reflecting on her character, she remarks, “It felt like Sara but 20 years on. It’s a gift of a part.” Beth’s beau, Ian Kelsey, a familiar face in the village as Dave Glover in 1994, was the one who nudged her to take the plunge into the show, hinting it could be a game-changer. Now, a year into her stint, Beth is all praises for the soap’s slick production and the team spirit. “The crew is incredible,” she enthuses. “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 alongside her partner Ian has been nothing short of transformative, particularly when perfecting Ruby’s pivotal moments with the Dingles. “He worked with me on the script,” she reveals. “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.” Beyond acting, Beth harbours a passion for writing, boasting an MA in Creative Writing. Her talent shone through when her short story “Marianne and Ellie” was featured in a 2009 anthology, and she even snagged a win in a short story contest with her Amsterdam-inspired tale “The Bike Ride”. Despite having penned two novels that are gathering digital dust in her laptop’s drafts folder, Beth sees the humour in it. She shares a chuckle about a friend in publishing who jests about owning an industrial shredder, suggesting her novels might as well meet their end. Yet, what Beth truly yearns for is just a bit more time to align her priorities. “I’m really bad at multi-tasking but I really enjoy writing,” she admits, “If I wasn’t acting, it’s probably the thing I’d most enjoy doing.”
