Ryan is set to be left confused when a face from his past returns to the village (Picture: ITV)
A familiar face from Ryan Stocks’ past is set to return in Emmerdale.
Upcoming scenes will see Gail (Rachel Gill-Davis) return to the village, whom viewers may remember from her last appearance in 2019.
Gail entered the soap as a former friend of Ryan, drinking his sorrows away with him in The Woolpack when his relationship with Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromwell) fell apart.
She eventually left the soap after making a move on Ryan, who determined they should stay friends, and four years later she’s back.
Ryan is suspicious of her return after not hearing from her in so long, though there is still clearly a spark between the pair.
But who is Ryan Stocks, and who plays him in the soap?
Who is Ryan Stocks in Emmerdale?
Ryan Stocks is the long-lost biological son of Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) and her rapist Mark Bails (Rocky Marshall) who held her prisoner.
Ryan is the son of Charity Dingle and Mark Bails (Picture: ITV)
Charity struggled with the idea of having another child after being forced to give up her firstborn, Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb), but eventually resolved to continue the pregnancy and escape Mark’s clutches.
He was born in 1990, and shortly after adopted by Irene Stocks (Eithne Browne), the midwife who delivered him.
Ryan later got back in touch with Charity in 2018 but was disappointed to find her family didn’t know about him.
The truth eventually came out during an explosive showdown in the pub where Ryan drunkenly kicked off at his extended family after his father Mark began to pour lies into his ears about his abuse of Charity.
Ryan has become a favourite character in the village since his arrival (Picture: ITV)
Mark eventually turned his abuse on Ryan as his court appearance loomed, though Ryan hit him with a piece of wood and was applauded by Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley).
Since then he has embarked on a number of storylines, including his eventually failed relationship with Dawn, his feud with Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough), dealing with Irene’s death, and becoming the owner of The Woolpack.
Who plays him?
Ryan is played by James Moore, a 30-year-old actor from Cheltenham.
He describes himself as a disabled activist, regularly spreading more information about the condition he suffers from, ataxic cerebral palsy.
James is vocal about his ataxic cerebral palsy and spends lots of time spreading awareness of the condition (Picture: ITV)
‘When I was brought in they were very open to learning about me, which I really liked,’ he told The Mirror on speaking about his casting in Emmerdale.
‘I had a lot of conversations with people at ITV in Leeds and the researcher team, who asked me lots of questions about my disability, what I do – like my background and my early life – they really did a deep dive.’
He began dating his fiance, Sophie Edward, in 2019, with the pair set to wed in 2024.
Celebrating her birthday in January this year, James shared a Simpsons-style illustration of the pair.
He shared a loved-up message for his partner, writing: ‘Happy birthday to my beautiful fiancé (still feels weird saying that, fiancé) @sophedward____!! Thank you for all the love and support you give me always, even when times are tough.
‘You always light up my days and I can’t imagine my life without you! I can’t wait to marry you next year! 2024.’
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He has been a favourite among fans since entering the soap.
