ITV Emmerdale actress responds to backlash against ‘pretty awful’ character

Emmerdale star Beth Cordingly is just as torn as viewers when it comes down to Ruby Fox-Miligan, who love to hate her, but the star’s family haven’t been impressed by her character.

The not-so-estranged wife of Caleb Miligan (portrayed by Will Ash) rocked up the ITV village earlier this year and had an explosive start to her new life in the Dales as she immediately clashed with her husband and the Dingle family.

Ruby’s antics have since led to multiple mixed reactions. During a recent chat with Inside Soap, Beth responded to the backlash by first admitting that her own family were also on the fence.

“[My family] think she’s pretty awful”, the former The Bill and Casualty actress revealed. “After the dinner party scene where Ruby got drunk and was horrible to everybody, my dad was very concerned I’d get trolled. I don’t really look at social media… Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

Despite the criticism Ruby may have received from frustrated viewers online, Beth has weighed in on her on-screen alter ego’s good traits as she insisted: “I think she’d be fiercely loyal and fight for you, and would be a laugh to hang out with, but I’d avoid mixing her with other groups of people in your life.”

She then added: “You’d probably see the way she behaves in a very different light and it would make you cringe, I don’t think she’s evil, just incredibly impulsive.”

But in another breath, Beth also admitted her character may be struggling with addiction, which could be making her behaviour more erratic: “I also think she’s a functioning alcoholic, and whenever she has a white wine on the go in The Woolpack she often goes off the rails on people.”

Ruby has been on a rampage since her arrival in the eponymous village, particularly as she was determined to fix her marriage with Caleb Miligan, and she has stopped at nothing to get him back, even viewing his long-lost family, the Dingles, as a threat to their marital bliss.

In recent scenes, Ruby not only clashed with Nate (Jurell Carter) and Tracy Robinson (Amy Walsh), but she also ruffled the feathers of Emmerdale tough man Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) who is Caleb’s half-brother, going as far as to brutally kick him where it hurts during a furious row in The Woolpack with Caleb.

She has since found herself in hot water with the Dingles again after accidentally elbowing Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) in the boozer, as the latter continues to recover from her double mastectomy.