Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly) is in for a shock when not one but two people from her deep past are set to rock up in the Emmerdale village and make her face her buried demons.
In recent weeks we’ve had many mentions of Ruby’s estranged daughter Steph, but we’re now about to put a face to the name. Ruby and her daughter Steph haven’t seen each other in 10 years, but that ends now.
Ruby is still reeling from her estranged mum’s death, having missed out on the chance to have a final word with her. Her parents abandoned her 30 years ago over Caleb (Will Ash), so to suddenly be confronted with her past again has been painful for Ruby. But her mum’s death isn’t where it stops.
Now she suddenly hears from daughter Steph (Georgia Jay) and Ruby is at a loss for words. Unusual for the queen of comebacks.
She sends Caleb away so that she and her offspring can have it out, but she’s left floored when she learns Steph was in touch with Helen.
We had the chance to delve a little deeper into what makes Steph tick, not to mention the chaos and carnage that follows!
Georgia told us: ‘She’s a firecracker, for sure! She definitely comes in and makes her mark! Everyone will know she’s here. She’s also very sensitive and that’s what she’s masking.
‘She’s masking a massive vulnerability and the sensitivity of not feeling loved and like her parents cared for her. I think the coldness and the dismissive behaviour, and she’s quite curt and direct, that is all to mask that underneath is a massive amount of hurt that she suffered from in her childhood.
‘I can’t wait for viewers to see what’s in store. It is really exciting.’
But the dramatic scenes don’t just stop at family dynamics. There are imminent passions between Steph and Ross Barton that will add more tension into the mix!
‘The bad boy of the village!’ Georgia grinned. ‘She’s never been to this place and I think she’s used to a fast-paced city life and now she’s in the Dales. She comes across Ross and there’s an immediate chemistry there.
‘But it’s very playful and I think the playfulness between them and the wit and the dry humour between them is what creates the chemistry. Neither of them wants the other to win, kind of thing.
‘I think for the first time Ross is probably not used to someone wearing the trousers. I think he’s quite taken aback by her.
‘She definitely uses it as ammo towards her parents because she knows that he’s not the kind of guy that they want for her. It’s a really fun dynamic to play. There’s a lot of fun to be had. I don’t know where it’s going but it’s currently good!’
Ruby digs to find out what was going on between the two of them, but Steph is not about to give her the ins and outs of her life, cruelly reminding her that Ruby gave her nothing but a dysfunctional childhood.
Steph refuses to let the topic of her childhood drop and pushed to her limit, Ruby snaps.
It’s not the best start to a reconciliation, and Ruby is left grovelling. But Steph has seen all she needs to from her mum, her negative thoughts and memories have been confirmed.
With Steph on her way out of the village, Caleb confides in Chas (Lucy Pargeter) that he can’t lose his daughter again, no matter what Ruby says and he’ll pull out the big guns to keep her.
Ruby is badly affected by the exchange and Caleb finds her trying to convince herself that Steph’s childhood wasn’t that bad. Caleb tells her what she wants to hear and assures her that Steph will come around. But Ruby seems to be holding something back.
Steph’s still in the village though, and is spotted leaving the B&B with local bad lad Ross (Mike Parr).
Caleb, desperate for Steph to stick around, offers her to be a partner in his Depot in exchange for her having a coffee with her mum.
Steph takes the deal, and the two women tentatively begin communicating. But before they get far, Ruby’s world is shattered once again – her dad Anthony shows up out of the blue.
It’s all a bit much and Ruby storms out. She begs Caleb to take her home, but instead he decides to have a word with her dad himself. They have a heated conversation, but Anthony’s sincerity hits a chord with Caleb, and he accepts a gift for Ruby.
This is the one time Ruby really needs Caleb’s backing, especially after he betrayed her in accepting Helen’s bribe money. Will he ever actually listen to his wife’s wishes?
