The Bill star Beth Cordingly is set to join the cast of ITV Emmerdale 20 years after police drama

Twenty years after quitting The Bill, Beth Cordingly is set to join the cast of Emmerdale in January next year.

The actress, 47, who was best known as WPC Kerry Young in the police drama, will now take on the role of Caleb’s wife Ruby Fox-Milligan. And, according to show bosses, Ruby, who is mum to Nicky, is a “fiery, confident, unpredictable and a fiercely devoted mum”.

They added: “If Ruby believes Caleb, played by Will Ash, 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. Ruby’s a force to be reckoned with and a ticking time bomb.”

Speaking of joining the ITV show, 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 trouble-maker and I think people will love her or hate her, and I can’t wait to get stuck in with this fabulous cast.”

And speaking of Beth’s character, producer Kate Brooks added: “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. Her relationship with Caleb is infused with intense passion that manifests itself as the ultimate volatile relationship. 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.”

But Beth is not the only new addition to the soap as former Coronation Street actress Paula Lane has also landed a role, playing Ella Forster. Paula became a household name when she played Kylie Platt on the Cobbles between 2010 until her character was axed in 2016.

Paula’s character Ella finds herself thrust into village life after meeting Mandy Dingle at a veterinary ball. Following a chance meeting with Manpreet Sharman, Ella is offered a new opportunity which leads her to the Dales. Speaking about her role, Paula said: “I’m so excited to be joining the cast of Emmerdale. Everyone has been so welcoming and I can’t wait to start a new chapter playing the role of Ella. I’ve already heard there are big plans for her and I can’t wait to see her navigate a new life in the village and hopefully make some friends!”

And Kate added: “Ella is a complex and multi-layered character who comes to the village and certainly makes an impact. Ostensibly she’s a good, moral character, but is there more to her than meets the eye? We are absolutely thrilled to welcome an actor of Paula’s calibre to the show and we can’t wait to have her light up our screens.”

Earlier this year, Paula admitted that having her character in Coronation Street killed off meant that she had to push herself even harder as there was no chance of a return. She said: “I think it’s made me work harder. I think once you close the door on something like that, it’s quite hard to walk back into it and pick up where you left off.

“It might not have had the same magic to it either. But you can’t guess, can you? It is what it is. It gave me an absolutely fantastic ending … I’m happy that I have to take on these different roles now. And it’s amazing to see people’s reaction when they see you in something so different as well. There’s nothing more fulfilling than that.”