Emmerdale is set to welcome Ruby’s estranged mum as actress Sharon Maughan joins the ITV soap for a stint as Helen Fox, here’s where you have seen her before.
Emmerdale is set to introduce Ruby Fox-Milligan’s estranged mother, Helen Fox, played by actress Sharon Maughan. The character has been absent from her daughter’s life for 30 years, and the details of Ruby (Beth Cordingly) and Caleb Miligan’s (William Ash) relationship are about to be revealed.
In upcoming episodes, Caleb will be called to his affluent mother-in-law’s hospital bedside, where she reveals that she is terminally ill and wishes to see her daughter again.
Caleb agrees to arrange a reunion, but only if Helen pays him £100k. Will she agree to pay the price to see Ruby again?
Ruby arrived in the village earlier this year as Caleb’s distant wife and mother to their son Nicky.
Caleb and Nicky have been in the village for a few years, having arrived at Christmas 2022 with the intention of swindling Kim Tate (Claire King) out of Home Farm, reports the Manchester Evening News.
It was later revealed that Caleb is the son of Kim’s ex-husband Frank Tate (Norman Bowler) and Faith Dingle (Sally Dexter), making him the estranged half-brother of Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter).
As Helen reconnects with Caleb in the upcoming scenes, what secrets will come to light?
William Ash has disclosed that Helen and her husband disowned Ruby due to their disapproval of her relationship with Caleb.
The actor revealed to The Express.co.uk and other press: “They hated him because he’d come out of a care home, he didn’t have any family and thought he was beneath their daughter.”
He explained how the tension between the couple and Helen stemmed from her prejudice: “So, Helen was really snobby and judgemental. Helen and Ruby’s dad gave Ruby an ultimatum.
“They basically said ‘look if you want to be with this boy then we don’t want anything to do with you’. They basically just cut Ruby dead.”
Will explained Caleb’s lingering distrust of Helen, saying: “Because she’s been so manipulative and behaved terribly in the past, he just doesn’t trust anything that she’d ever say.”
Nevertheless, Caleb agrees to meet with Helen, with Will sharing: “He decides to go just to see what she actually wants because if she is on her deathbed, then maybe Ruby does need some kind of closure and there’s a potential for sorting it out. As it turns out, that’s not what happens…”
Regarding working with Sharon, who plays Helen, Will praised her talent: “She is an amazing actress because she only comes in for two episodes. We only had a day of filming.
“We were doing all these intense scenes together in a hospital room, in a private hospital, just me and her going at each other really.”
He added: “She was amazing. It is hard to come into any show, to just do one day, and have lots of intense scenes. But she was fantastic and really a force of nature really.”
Veteran actress Sharon Maughan, famed for her iconic Nescafe Gold Blend TV adverts in the 80s and 90s, has joined the cast of ITV’s popular soap opera for a limited run.
The 74 year old star boasts an impressive acting resume, with notable roles including Kate in The Enigma Files (1980), Anna in By the Sword Divided (1983-1985), and Tricia Williams in Holby City (2003- 2006).
Her extensive career also includes appearances in Inspector Morse, Cinderella, Heartbeat, Casualty, Waking the Dead, and Rain Stops Play, among others.
In addition to her acting prowess, Sharon is also a director, producer, and entrepreneur. After suffering health issues in 2009 due to salicylic overload, she launched her own skincare brand, FaceWise, using top-quality natural ingredients.
Off-screen, Sharon is married to actor Trevor Eve, known for his roles in Dracula, The Interceptor, Unforgotten, Waking the Dead, David Copperfield, Shadow Chasers, and more.
The couple are parents to three children: actress Alice Eve, actor and producer Jack Eve, and musician George Eve.
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