Expect fireworks in Emmerdale soon as Ruby Fox-Milligan (Beth Cordingly) arrives in the village in January – and turns Caleb Milligan’s (William Ash) life upside down.
Ruby is the wife of Caleb and the mother of Nicky Milligan (Lewis Cope) and when she reunites with her family members there’s going to be huge drama.
‘If Ruby believes Caleb has finally found a family of his own away from her, it’s fair to say she’d happily destroy it rather than allow Caleb to be happy without her,’ a spokesperson for the show predicted.
‘Ruby’s a force to be reckoned with and a ticking time bomb.’
Ruby is Nicky’s mum
The new character will be played by Beth Cordingly, who has previously appeared in a host of TV shows including a long stint in iconic police drama The Bill as PC Kerry Young from 2002 to 2004.
EastEnders fans may also remember Beth from her role as Debbie Morton, a cellmate of Shirley Carter’s (Linda Henry) in 2017. More recently she has been seen in the Paramount series The Burning Girls.
Speaking of making her debut in the Dales, Beth said, ‘I’m delighted to be joining the cast of Emmerdale, it’s an enormous privilege and Ruby is a dream role. She’s a firecracker and a troublemaker and I think people will love her or hate her, and I can’t wait to get stuck in with this fabulous cast.’
Ruby’s arrival will certainly throw the cat among the pigeons as far as Caleb is concerned. He’s recently been pursuing an affair with Tracy Robinson (Amy Walsh), his nephew’s wife – a risky enough thing to do, but doubly so with a ‘firecracker’ of a wife around.
We’ve heard Caleb’s wife mentioned fairly often, particularly in the early days when Caleb was pursuing his vendetta against Kim Tate (Claire King). One of the reasons he gave to Nicky about what he was doing was that he wanted to use his money to secure Nicky’s mum’s future. This turned out to be a lie.
‘We’ve just heard little bits from Caleb where’s he’s kind of said it’s all over between them and there’s nothing going on – but is that really true?’ producer Laura Shaw hinted last month.
Ruby’s arrival will certainly fill in a lot of the blanks about Caleb’s past and introduce an interesting new dynamic to both his character and Nicky’s.
Producer Kate Brooks told us, ‘Her relationship with Caleb is infused with an intense passion that manifests itself as the ultimate volatile relationship.
‘Ruby is an absolute force of nature who sweeps through the village with scores to settle. Fiercely loyal to her family, Ruby will do anything and everything to protect her loved ones.
‘Ruby is a character who pulls no punches and always makes an impression. We’re delighted to welcome Beth to the show and we’re sure she’ll make a wonderful addition to the village.’
