ITV Emmerdale star teases 'double family betrayal' as two new characters shake up village

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Emmerdale's Beth Cordingly, who plays Ruby Fox-Miligan, has disclosed that her character will slap her estranged daughter Steph (played by Georgia Jay) in upcoming scenes of the ITV soap, following a dramatic reunion in the village.

The Dales are bracing for the arrival of two new characters as the Miligan family grows. However, it won't be a joyous reunion for Ruby, who is left speechless upon seeing her daughter again, before her father also makes an unexpected appearance in the village.

In future episodes, Ruby is shaken to encounter Steph Miligan for the first time in ten years and sends her husband Caleb (William Ash) away so they can have their first mother-daughter confrontation in a decade.

Ruby attempts to understand Steph's relationship with her now deceased mum Helen (Sharon Maughan), but as Steph continues to criticise her mother for her troubled upbringing, Ruby reaches her limit and slaps her.

In another shocking twist, Steph isn't alone as she has brought along Ruby's father Anthony (Nicholas Day), whom Ruby hasn't seen in nearly 30 years. Ruby is stunned to realise that Steph orchestrated the reunion and as her father tries to justify his actions, Ruby storms out, wanting nothing to do with him.

Speaking to the Daily Record, actress Beth Cordingly hints that her character Ruby will find it difficult when she discovers that Steph has formed a close relationship with her parents, despite them abandoning her when she was 18 and pregnant with Steph, reports Leicestershire Live.

Describing the intense scenes of Steph and Ruby's reunion, Beth revealed: "Ruby is not very good at interpersonal relationships generally so Steph comes in with big energy and it starts getting heated. Then Caleb starts to calm things down and I do a classic Ruby of going 'will you just leave us alone, I want to speak to my daughter!'

"So he leaves and then we start having it out more, me and Steph, kids know how to push your buttons. Ruby carries a lot of guilt and is very aware that she hasn't realised how neglected Steph has felt over the years, that has really been from when she is very young, she's felt her mum didn't love her."

On explaining how the dynamics between Ruby and her own mother Helen have influenced her parenting approach towards Steph, Beth continued: "It has a lot to do with Ruby's mum, and around her vulnerabilities."

Georgia Jay, who takes on the role of Steph, chimed in: "That was almost the catalyst around the slap, I said some remark about Helen, I said 'no wonder she didn't like you' or 'want to know you' because Steph has formed a close alliance with grandma, and then you slapped me which is not a great start to the reunion."

William Ash, portraying Caleb, added his perspective: "That alliance as well feels like a huge betrayal for Ruby and Caleb because when Ruby was pregnant with Steph, that's when Ruby was disowned by the family. They were completely cut off and that's why they went off on their own."

Ruby and Anthony's reunion comes after nearly three decades apart, and Ruby views Steph's good rapport with her grandad as yet another betrayal.

Beth revealed: "Just as Ruby's relationship with Steph is about to get off the ground, somebody else walks into the café and it's my dad. It's been engineered by Steph who thinks she is doing a nice thing by bringing her family together."

She added, "I'm really shocked having not seen him for almost 30 years, then I feel double betrayed because I'm just about to build a relationship with Steph then this person from my past who I don't want to see appears, who Steph has been building a relationship with."

The question remains: Will Ruby be able to reconcile with Steph?

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm.

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