Emmerdale stars Beth Cordingly and Georgia Jay have certainly got fans talking as mum and daughter Ruby and Steph Miligan – but are they related in real-life?
With the pair sharing more and more scenes together as Steph finds out the truth about her parentage and Ruby’s abuse, fans can’t help but focus on one thing: how alike they both are.
So is this just a case of excellent casting on the part of Emmerdale? Or are Georgia and Beth related in real life? We have the answers you’ve been looking for.
Ruby and Caleb’s estranged daughter Steph turned up in the village in November last year. She was there for her inheritance from her grandmother and then she was gone for good. Caleb was desperate for her to stay, but it was very clear there was a whole lot of family history to unpack here. And, she was absolutely not over her messy childhood.
When Ruby and Steph then reunited, things were tense. Ruby ended up slapping Steph as things got heated. They managed to make up and Steph agreed to stick around – on the proviso her grandad – Ruby’s estranged father – could stay too.
Ruby was forced to agree, despite it being obvious there was something awful between her and her dad. No one noticed, everyone thought Ruby was sour after Anthony had kicked her out for getting pregnant at 16.
But viewers were sure there was more to it. We eventually had our suspicions confirmed when it was revealed Anthony had sexually abused Ruby. Things got even sicker when we then discovered Anthony and not Caleb was Steph’s biological father.
Anthony dead in Emmerdale
With Ruby unable to tell her secret torment to anyone, it did all come crashing out when Caleb found the paternity test results and demanded answers.
Soon enough Chas had worked out the truth and Aaron also saw it. Anthony was confronted by several locals, but eventually Aaron lost his temper and beat him to a pulp. He and John later went back and found Anthony was dead.
As John set about doing an expert clean-up, what was then revealed was that in fact Ruby had found her dad alive and finished him off. The Anthony murder club, consisting of Ruby, Caleb, Aaron, John, Chas and Cain have since been determined to cover the death up.
But Steph has demanded answers. And she would not let it go. After insisting she was going to report her parents to the police, the whole horrible truth came out.
But as Steph and Ruby share even more heartbreaking scenes, fans are still distracted by just how alike the pair look.
So, are Emmerdale actresses Georgia Jay and Beth Cordingly aka Steph and Ruby related in real life?
One viewer wrote: on social media “Great casting of Steph! She looks just like Ruby!” While another added: “If not related, it’s good the writers found a lookalike actress who can also act like Ruby. She seems just as fiery as her mum, extended family to the Dingles.”
A third asked: “Is the actress who plays Ruby’s daughter any relation to her as the resemblance to Ruby is uncanny?”
A fourth replied to the question: “She even sounds like her.”
So, are they related?
The answer is no. Steph is played by newcomer Georgia Jay, who has previously had a two-episode role in 2019 BBC drama Giri/Haji. She also had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role in Silent Witness.
Does Beth Cordingly have children?
Beth Cordingly does have a daughter, whose face and name she has never shared since she was a baby.
The actress does regularly give updates on her child on social media, but it is clear her offspring is much younger than Georgia and turned 11 in June 2024.
Beth is dating former Emmerdale star Ian Kelsey, who played Dave Glover on the soap in the 90s. He is not the father of her little girl, that is Beth’s former husband, theatre producer Adam Speers.
