This article contains discussion of child s.e.x.u.a.l abuse which some readers may wish to avoid.
Emmerdale has confirmed a traumatic ordeal from the childhood of Ruby Fox-Miligan, revealing that she was s.e.x.u.al..l.y abused at a young age.
The character, played by Beth Cordingly, has been central to the show for a year now, with episodes regularly focusing on turbulent times.
Since the arrival of her long-lost daughter Steph (Georgia Jay) and her estranged father Anthony (Nicholas Day), she has closed herself off and fans have been left wondering what has been going on in her mind to provoke such changes in the usually extraverted Ruby.
Now, an episode will show flashbacks that offer a glimpse into her past, focusing on her 16th birthday party.
Emmerdale has assured that no scenes depicted will be graphic in nature.
What happened to Ruby as a child is unknown to her husband, Caleb, played by William Ash, as she has buried the trauma as a coping mechanism.
However, her life has begun to spiral out of control as those painful memories have resurfaced and flooded her thoughts and they also go some way to explain why she pushed Steph away as a child.