List of Emmerdale characters introduced in 2024
Emmerdale is a British ITV soap opera that first aired on 16 October 1972. The following characters debuted in 2024. [|Ella Forster] made first appearance in January, as did Ruby Miligan, the wife of Caleb Miligan and the mother of his son, Nicky Miligan. [|Rose Jackson], the estranged ex-wife of Will Taylor and mother of Dawn Fletcher, debuted in April. In June, [|Josh Cope], the transphobic friend of Samson Dingle arrived in the village, followed in August by [|John Sugden], the long-lost son of Jack Sugden and half-brother of Victoria Sugden arrived. He was followed by [|Helen Fox], Ruby's mother, and [|DS Foy], a police officer investigating Belle King's attack on her husband Thomas King with an axe, in September. In October, boxing promoter, [|Jade Garrick] made her first appearance, followed by Caleb and Ruby's daughter, Steph Miligan and Ruby's father, [|Anthony Fox] in November. Additionally, several [|other characters] appeared throughout the year.
Ella Forster
Ella Forster, played by Paula Lane, made her first appearance on 16 January 2024. The character and casting was announced on 21 November 2023, with it being reported that Lane would begin filming that same month. Ella was described as "compassionate and caring" and "far from a pushover" and it was teased that it would not be long until Ella is "turning heads in the village". Ella will meet Mandy Dingle and her partner, Paddy Kirk, at the veterinary ball, which will lead to Ella losing her job after sticking up for Mandy, but then find luck when she has a "chance encounter" with local doctor Manpreet Sharma. Speaking about her casting, Lane, known for her role as Kylie Platt in another ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, said that was she was excited to be joining the Emmerdale cast, adding: "Everyone has been so welcoming and I can't wait to start a new chapter playing the role of Ella. I've already heard there are big plans for her and I can't wait to see her navigate a new life in the village and hopefully make some friends!"Ruby Fox-Miligan
Ruby Miligan, played by Beth Cordingly, made her first appearance on 25 January 2024. Ruby is the wife of Caleb Miligan and the mother of his son, Nicky Miligan. Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw teased the character's arrival in October 2023 when she said that the affair between Caleb and Tracy Metcalfe would lead to a "new arrival" who would cause uproar, which Shaw was excited about. The following month, the character was officially announced by Shaw at an Emmerdale press event, though the portrayer of the character was not revealed. On 6 December 2023, Jessica Sansome of the Manchester Evening News confirmed that Beth Cordingly had been cast as Ruby. Of her casting, Cordingly stated "I'm delighted to be joining the cast of Emmerdale, it's an enormous privilege and Ruby is a dream role. She's a firecracker and a troublemaker and I think people will love her or hate her, and I can't wait to get stuck in with this fabulous cast."Speaking of the character, Shaw teased "We've heard mention before of and we've just heard little bits from Caleb saying it's 'all over between them' and that 'there's nothing going on' but is that really true? In the new year we will see Ruby bursting onto our screens. She is an absolute firecracker. She's going to put a real spanner into the Dingles. Is her and Caleb's relationship really over as he's made out? We'll find out in the new year. Fans will have to wait and see who bosses have cast as the feisty newcomer." The character was later billed as "fiery, confident, unpredictable and a fiercely devoted mum." Sansome reported that Ruby would "happily destroy" any family that Caleb has established on his own while he has been away from her, adding that "Ruby's a force to be reckoned with and a ticking time bomb." Producer Kate Brooks said the character had "scores to settle" and being loyal to her family, she will protect them by any means. Brooks also said that Ruby and Caleb's relationship is both passionate and volatile.
In November 2024, Georgia Jay and Nicholas Day were introduced to Emmerdale as Ruby's daughter Steph Miligan and father Anthony Fox respectively. Ruby has tried to rebuild bridges with Steph since her arrival, but Anthony's presence in the village makes her uneasy. On 30 November 2024, it was announced that a special flashback episode which aired on 12 December 2024 which would show Ruby's sixteenth birthday party in 1992. These scenes were described to give viewers a "surprising insight into Ruby's past." When these scenes aired, it was confirmed that Ruby was sexually abused by her father on her 16th birthday. Speaking about the flashback episode, Emmerdale producer, Laura Shaw said: "Ruby has always been troubled and volatile in nature, and finally our audience will be able to learn more about the past that has haunted her and made Ruby the woman she is today." Rachel Alsop played Ruby in these flashback scenes. During the episode broadcast on 28 April 2025, the character announced her intention to change her surname to Miligan, and this was reflected in the closing credits.
For her role as Ruby, Cordingly was longlisted for "Best Newcomer" and "Best Villain" at the 2024 Inside Soap Awards. Of the character's arrival, Claire Crick from What to Watch wrote that "Fans' prayers have been answered". Following the character's debut, Laura-Jayne Tyler from Inside Soap wrote that "Ruby's our new favourite character of 2024, and we'll fight anyone who says otherwise."
Rose Jackson
Rose Jackson, played by Christine Tremarco, made her first appearance on 25 April 2024. It was revealed that the character has been living abroad in Benidorm and is already known to established character, Will Taylor and is going to "cause a stir" between him and his wife Kim Tate. Brenna Cooper from Digital Spy reported that Rose's arrival will "ruffle feathers between the couple after Will fails to mention to his wife that he knows the bolshy and boisterous new arrival." Of her casting, Tremarco said, "I am thrilled to be joining Emmerdale! To be working with such a wonderful cast and crew along with the brilliant writing and production team is an absolute joy! Rose is so much fun to play. She is free-spirited, boisterous and totally mischievous with a steely edge and a big heart." Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw added the Emmerdale team was "massively delighted to welcome Christine Tremarco to the Emmerdale family." When Rose first appears in Emmerdale, she is visited by Will, who is not happy with her arrival. It is later revealed that she is his ex-wife and also the mother of his daughter, Dawn Fletcher.Laura-Jayne Tyler from Inside Soap commented on how fans were speculating on social media that Rose would be a donor match for her grandson, Evan Fletcher, with Tyler suspecting that they are "right". Tyler's colleague, Gary Gillatt, called Rose "wonderfully bumptious" and said that she was "seemingly invented to spit venom at Kim". Chloe Timms from the same magazine believed that Rose had "Faith Dingle energy".
Josh Cope
Josh Cope, played by Osian Morgan, made his first appearance on the 3 June 2024. His casting was announced on 23 May 2024, with it being teased that the character would be "stirring trouble" in the village and be involved in a new storyline with Samson Dingle. Josh is introduced as the transphobic friend of Samson, who he has a drink with at The Hide where Matty Barton and his wife Amy work. Josh begins to flirt with Amy, which makes her feel uncomfortable and subsequently decided to leave work early as she can't cope with Josh's constant flirting. Matty asks the two boys to leave the premises, Josh then threatens Matty, who is holding a knife whilst chopping vegetables, asking him for the cash till. Matty refuses and Josh pushes Samson into him and Samson ends up getting stabbed by accident.Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy found problems within the storyline such as a "lack of build-up" as Josh was only introduced three days before the stabbing took place. He also said that Josh has "a hold on Samson" and "it's not clear enough why Samson is scared to speak up against Josh, but has no problem defying his dangerous relative Cain Dingle, who wants him to change his story." Kilkelly also said it would have been "more effective to see Samson and Josh's friendship grow over a period of weeks rather than days, even if they were playing minor roles in episodes before eventually coming to the forefront."
[|Les Carmichael]
Les Carmichael, portrayed by Stacy J Gough, was Matty Barton's cellmate in HMP Hotten. Gough's casting was announced on 25 June 2024, two days before his character's first appearance. Matty confides in Les about being transgender and Les helps him by telling him how to behave in prison. He confirms that he will mind his own business regarding Matty's life, but warns him that other prisoners aren't so kind. He also protects Matty from another inmate named [|Robbo], who tries to get the lowdown on Matty.Palmisciano spoke about the importance of tackling transphobia in the plot, explaining that the show has aimed to portray "how vulnerable Matty can be in a situation like . Not everyone is super accepting," he said, adding: "It is great Matty's got that support. It's lovely to tell, we showed the wedding recently, it was an exciting joyous moment. It looked so incredible on screen. But sometimes we need to show the flip side of that, how it could go the other way and could be quite cruel for someone like Matty. It shows the bigger picture of what it is like to be him. I was really excited, and it's fantastic we get to mirror that and to tell that story."
Robbo
Robbo, played by John O'Neil, was a transphobic inmate at the prison HMP Hotten, where Matty Barton was after accidentally stabbing Samson Dingle after being pushed by Josh Cope whilst holding a knife after chopping fruit. O'Neil's casting was announced on 2 July 2024, two days before his first appearance, however the character was announced on 25 June 2024. When Matty first arrived in prison, he kept being transgender to himself and confided in Les Carmichael, however Robbo discovered that Matty was hiding something. Robbo was curious to find out what Matty was hiding, so when he was visited by his wife, Amy Barton, Robbo approached her and finds out his secret from her as she thinks he is Les.Palmisciano spoke about the importance of tackling transphobia in the plot, explaining that the show has aimed to portray "how vulnerable Matty can be in a situation like . Not everyone is super accepting," he said, adding: "It is great Matty's got that support. It's lovely to tell, we showed the wedding recently, it was an exciting joyous moment. It looked so incredible on screen. But sometimes we need to show the flip side of that, how it could go the other way and could be quite cruel for someone like Matty. It shows the bigger picture of what it is like to be him. I was really excited, and it's fantastic we get to mirror that and to tell that story." O'Neill and Palmisciano's relationship off-screen has been described to be more "harmonious." Palmisciano posted behind the scenes photos on Instagram with O'Neill and Gough with the caption: "The nicest prison baddie I could be working with and the best prison mate ever, hats off to you both." O'Neill also posted some photos with the caption: "Had an absolute blast shooting on this job. We did laugh outside of the takes, promise."