Ruth Madeley, known for roles in Years and Years, Doctor Who and Don't Take My Baby, currently stars as psychologist Dr Gabs Fox in the BBC thriller The Rapture. Away from screens, the actress, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, is married to Joe Lawrence, a childhood friend she has known since they were five years old.
A Lifelong Connection
Unlike his wife, Joe does not work in show business. He owns a company that trains people to operate cranes and was a motorbike racer for many years. In a 2022 interview with MailOnline, Ruth said: "I am very lucky – but don’t tell him that." Referring to his racing career, she added: "He’s a lunatic. When he raced, I was in the pit lane going, ‘Thirty miles an hour’s fast enough!’ I’m frightened of everything, he’s frightened of nothing, so we balance each other out. My job is his idea of hell. He’s the perfect combination of so unbelievably proud of me, but also so nonchalant about the whole thing."
Tying the Knot
After 12 years together, Ruth and Joe married in 2024. She told The Guardian earlier this year: "I wanted to get married; it took Joe a little longer to decide that that was going to happen. We were friends forever, we were always going to end up together, and obviously now he thinks that what I’m doing for a living is absolutely hysterical. He’s not an actor, he’s very grounded, it’s nice to be able to go home and not talk about it."
Disney Trip Tears
In 2023, Ruth gave a rare insight into their relationship on the Journey to the Magic podcast. Recalling a holiday to Walt Disney World Orlando, she said: "I could not stop crying. Joe, my boyfriend, was sick to death of me. I cried as soon as I walked into the Magic Kingdom." She noted that accessibility was not an issue and that two of their best friends were there at the same time, making it a memorable trip.
The Rapture airs on BBC One and iPlayer from 9pm on Sunday, July 26.
