Ruby Fox-Miligan has been at the centre of some of Emmerdale's darkest storylines since arriving in the village in 2024. The character, played by Beth Cordingly, is the estranged wife of Caleb Miligan (William Ash), and within months of showing up she killed her own abusive father.
Anthony Fox (Nicholas Day) had been revealed as the biological father of Ruby's daughter Steph (Georgia Jay) before Ruby killed him, with several other villagers helping to cover up the crime.
Life away from the Dales
Off screen, Cordingly's life is far removed from Ruby's criminal turmoil. Born on 25 October 1976, she is 49 and originally from Brighton in Sussex. She studied English and Drama at the University of Birmingham before training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
It was at Birmingham that she became friends with This Morning's Ben Shephard. Speaking on the ITV show, the pair revealed they were at university together, with Cordingly a year below Shephard. He recalled: "It was like one big, happy family." Cordingly teased him about his rugby days, joking that it "must have been some sort of 70s thing." Shephard responded warmly, describing a time full of "incredibly talented actors" and adding that it had been "amazing watching the likes of Beth, Elliot and Claudia go on and be sort of really acclaimed within their field."
From Family Affairs to The Bill
Her first major television role came in the soap Family Affairs, playing troubled teenager Sara Warrington. A year after leaving, she took the lead in Noël Coward's Semi-Monde at the Lyric Theatre in the West End. She also starred as Rose, a cabinet secretary, in Two Men Went to War.
In 2002, she joined The Bill as PC Kerry Young. Her character was murdered in 2004 after she left the show, which led to an hour-long spin-off called Kerry's Story. Other credits include Merlin, Casualty, EastEnders and The Burning Girls. In 2007, she played a sex worker alongside Billie Piper in ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
A famous father
Beth is the daughter of David Cordingly, a historian and writer who has penned several books on pirates. He also appeared in the DVD bonus features of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, in a virtual tour of a pirate ship called Below Deck.
Beth has previously spoken proudly of her parents, telling Official London Theatre that they inspire her. "My mum worked extensively in Child Protection in the 80s and 90s fighting for more recognition of it, helping to make people more aware of the signs to look for," she said. "My dad is a writer with an incredibly strong work ethic. They're my favourite people."
Fans have also noticed the family link, with one person commenting on an Emmerdale Facebook fan page: "Fun fact, Beth's dad is the writer David Cordingly." Another added: "He was in the extras of Pirates of the Caribbean as well I believe."
Marriage and motherhood
Beth was previously married to stage director Adam Speers, who is behind ATG Productions. The company has produced the revival of Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger and Sunday in the Park with George starring Jake Gyllenhaal, both at the Savoy Theatre in the West End. The couple married in 2011 and had a daughter in 2013, but announced their separation in 2016.
Earlier this year, Beth took part in a social media trend by sharing memories from 2016 on Instagram, posting a video of favourite snaps, particularly with her daughter. She wrote that 2016 was "such a huge year" and that it took her a while to look at the photos because she was "obliterated the first time round." She reflected on her father's operation, her daughter's operation, turning 40, and saying goodbye to "the last f*** I give," as well as taking her daughter to Disneyland despite being newly separated. She added: "I think, maybe, that's what life is about. The last ten years. It's not always been easy but everyone is ok and we will keep trying."
A soap romance
Since 2021, Beth has been in a relationship with former Emmerdale star Ian Kelsey, who played Dave Glover from 1994 to 1997 and later appeared in Coronation Street as Vinny Ashford. The pair have reportedly known each other for over two decades.
Beth has spoken openly about her happiness, saying she is "very happy" and "so in love" with Ian. She also praised him for his support when she landed her Emmerdale role, saying: "He totally gets it. He knows a lot of the crew and cast and so it's lovely to be able to share what I've been up to, knowing he understands." She added that they are both supportive of each other's careers, which is important in "such a competitive industry."
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
