Who is Ruth Madeley? Cold Feet actress who played Tracey McHarrie and Spina Bifida & Me presenter
Meet the BAFTA nominated actress and screen writer who aims to change the representation of disabled people in the film industry.
RUTH Madeley, the BAFTA nominated actress, is returning to our screens with the BBC Two documentary Spina Bifida & Me.
Here's all you need to know about the inspiring actress...
Who is Ruth Madeley?
Ruth Madeley is a 31-year-old rising British actress mostly known for her roles in Don't Take My Baby (2015), Katy (2018) and Five by Five (2017).
She was diagnosed with spina bifida when she was still in her mother's womb- six weeks before she was born.
Although she was studying to be a screenwriter, she fell into acting by chance.
As she was volunteering at Whizz-Kidz — the charity that supplied her with her first wheelchair at the age of five — the BBC called asking if they could recommend a wheelchair user for an audition.
Thinking it might help her understanding of screenwriting, Ruth went along and ended up being offered the part instantly.
Which films and TV series has Ruth Madeley been in?
Ruth fell in love with acting as soon as she stepped on the BBC set .
This first and significant role gained her an agent which led to a supporting part in Fresh Meat.
In the meantime she continued to write and in 2012 she wrote and starred in Scrims for Lime Pictures.
She was then cast as the lead in BBC’s Don’t Take My Baby, her performance for which she received a BAFTA nomination.
Based on real-life testimony, this 60-minute BAFTA award-winning factual drama tells the story of a young disabled couple that could face losing custody of their newborn daughter.
Since then Ruth filmed ITV series The Level in her first non-disability specific role, - a milestone for the industry’s representation of disabled people.
She also appeared in season 7 of Cold Feet as Tracey McHarrie, a disabled woman who gets fired.
What is Spina Bifida and does Ruth Madeley suffer from it?
Ruth Madeley was diagnosed with spina bifida six weeks before she was born.
The doctors initially told her mother that they didn't know whether she would even survive.
Spina bifida occurs when a baby's spine and spinal cord don't develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine.
It's a type of neural defect that affects the structure that eventually develops into the baby's brain and spinal cord.
When is Spina Bifida & Me on and what is it about?
In this Horizon film, Ruth sets out to discover why she suffers from Spina Bifida, whether it could have been prevented and what it means for her future.
She discovers a pioneering surgery that offers a better future for babies diagnosed with spina bifida, by operating on them before they’re even born.
One in every 1,000 pregnancies in Britain is affected by a spine or brain defect such as spina bifida.
She goes on to meet the families of the affected children and also examines common British attitudes about how we see disability.
Spina Bifida & Me premieres on BBC Two at 21:00 on Thursday, 26 July.