Emmerdale star Beth Cordingly has shocked her fellow cast members by deviating from the script. The 46-year-old actress, who joined the ITV soap in January, has caused a stir by improvising during filming. Beth’s character, Ruby Fox-Miligan, has caused controversy in the village by mocking the northern accents of the other characters, a decision made by Beth herself. Speaking to Metro, Beth admitted that her ad-libbing has surprised everyone on set. She said, “It’s not in the scripts. When I did it the first time around the dinner table, everyone’s reaction was like [gasps]. I wish I had waited for the take. In the scene before, I did someone else’s accent, Moira’s, and I wished I had held on to it for the take because the reaction was [loud gasp]. Everyone looked outraged! And then, of course, you do it for the second or third time. Everyone said, ‘That’s the way to annoy northerners even more!'”
Last month, Beth showcased her talent for mimicry when she adopted a fake northern accent to try and reconcile two characters, Cain and Caleb. During a karaoke session, she sang “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” with a convincing Yorkshire accent. While some of her co-stars struggled to contain their laughter, not all of them were successful. Beth’s portrayal of Ruby has captivated viewers, but she insists that her character is very different from her real-life personality. She compares Ruby to Gloria from Modern Family, who speaks her mind without hesitation. Beth explained, “It’s one of the things in my head for that kind of impulsive action. She’s so different to me in the way that I would react to things, but you always have to find justification and the logic of the character.”
Playing Ruby takes Beth back to her teenage years, which she describes as “always fun.” She recalled her role as Sara in the Channel 5 soap Family Affairs, where she played a rebellious teenager. Beth said, “I remember thinking, ‘I’m just going to have to show the side of me that only my mum sees, that kind of [screeches] side of you.’ And I have to do that with Ruby as well sometimes. It’s always fun to play those kinds of parts.”
Ruby’s fiery nature and sharp retorts have become a source of great entertainment for viewers. However, her family has expressed concerns about the potential for trolling. Beth, Ruby’s sister, revealed that their father was particularly worried about the negative attention Ruby might receive. This concern spread throughout the family, leading to a wave of worry. Beth explained, “My dad got very worried at the beginning about how awful Ruby is! He was concerned that she would be targeted by trolls. This worry even reached a friend of a family member who called to ask if it was true that Ruby was being trolled. It’s mainly my dad who is worrying about it. While they enjoy watching the explosive drama, they do get a bit concerned about her behavior.”
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