Emmerdale star Beth Cordingly has opened up about an unusual phobia as she prepares to attend The British Soap Awards 2025.
The 48-year-old, who plays Ruby Miligan in the ITV1 soap, made the admission during an exclusive interview and photoshoot for TV Times magazine, on sale Tuesday 27 May, which has brought together four leading ladies from the soap world – Beth, Coronation Street’s Channique Sterling-Brown (Dee-Dee Bailey), EastEnders star Diane Parish (Denise Fox) and Hollyoaks’ Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes McQueen) – to celebrate return of the glitzy ceremony.
The event, which took a hiatus last year, is being held at London’s Hackney Empire this Saturday, May 31, and will be screened on ITV1 on Thursday, June 5. Singer, presenter and self-confessed soap addict Jane McDonald will again be on hosting duties.
Beth has played Ruby since January 2024 and received high praise for her performance in her character’s historic child abuse storyline, which has seen her shortlisted for Best Leading Performer, as well as for Best On-Screen Partnership with co-star William Ash, who plays Ruby’s husband, Caleb Miligan.
She reveals, “When me and Eden Taylor-Draper [who plays Emmerdale’s Belle Dingle and is also nominated in the Best Leading Performer category, along with EastEnders stars Lacey Turner and Kellie Bright] got the nominations, we both went, ‘Oh my God, what do we wear?!’
“I absolutely hate making decisions. I hate packing – I have a packing phobia – and I can’t go to big supermarkets. There’s too much choice! Ian [Beth’s partner Ian Kelsey, who played Emmerdale’s Dave Glover from 1994 to 1996] has to go instead.”
While Beth made her Emmerdale debut last year, she is no stranger to The British Soap Awards. She first attended the event when she was part of the now-defunct Channel 5 soap Family Affairs (Beth played ‘wild child’ Sara Warrington between 2000 and 2001).
She also presented an award at the ceremony in 2004 with then-boyfriend Daniel MacPherson when both were starring in ITV police drama The Bill – she was PC Kerry Young and he was PC Cameron Tait.
But the actor admits there’s usually little method to her red-carpet planning.
“I don’t think about it, and then two days before, I start panicking, get out a horrendous bridesmaid dress that no longer fits, and then run around the shops with my daughter and her best friend!” she laughs, adding that she even failed to be organised for a meet-and-greet with King Charles!
“A couple of years ago, I was invited to Windsor Castle to meet the King [during a special event to celebrate the work of playwright William Shakespeare],” she explains. “I was in a line-up between Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Judi Dench. I ended up running around the day before, and buying some £9 shoes from New Look that my friend’s 14-year-old daughter found for me!”
* You can read Beth’s interview in the latest issue of TV Times magazine, on sale Tuesday 27 May
* The British Soap Awards 2025 will be screened on ITV1 on Thursday 5th June at 8pm
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV1. See our TV Guide for full listings to find out when you can catch the soap on ITV1 and ITVX.
