Why The Rapture's Ruth Madeley uses a wheelchair as she shares her 'excitement' at playing disabled lead
Ruth has been in a wheelchair since she was littleRuth Madeley is returning to screens in gripping new thriller The Rapture , but some viewers might be wondering why she uses a wheelchair.
The actress, 38, plays the lead role of Dr Gabriele Fox in the new BBC drama, which viewers have been promised “crackles with danger”.
But fans tuning in might question why Ruth needs a wheelchair.
Here, we explain.
Why does Ruth Madeley use a wheelchair?
Ruth has needed a wheelchair to move around since she was a small child.
Six weeks before she was born, doctors made a discovery. Ruth, still in the womb, was diagnosed with spina bifida. This when a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not fully develop during pregnancy.
Ruth previously wrote for the BBC: “My mum’s experience from her obstetrician 31 years ago was very negative when they discovered I had spina bifida just six weeks before I was born.
“They told my mum that I would never walk and that I would have many other health complications – not offering my family much hope for me at all.
“Termination was never an option for my mum but, met with such negativity from professionals, she was naturally very worried about my health and whether I would live or not.”
Thankfully, Ruth did survive. But in time, it became clear she would always have trouble walking. She was also diagnosed with scoliosis – a curvature of the spine – after undergoing countless operations.
Age five, Ruth was gifted a custom pink wheelchair by the charity Whizz Kidz. She fondly refers to her younger self as “Barbie on wheels”.
She previously told The Times: “It was so cool-looking. Barbie on wheels. That was all I ever wanted to be.”
Ruth’s acting career and disability awareness work
Ruth never trained to be an actress. She was cast “by accident” while doing work experience at the BBC. A TV exec asked her to audition for a part in a children’s TV show and a star was born.
Viewers will know Ruth best for Doctor Who and Years and Years. The scriptwriters for Years and Years actually shaped the script around her character, Rosie Lyons, having spina bifida.
Ruth has also appeared in Fresh Meat, Cold Feet and The War Between the Land and the Sea. She’s taken part in entertainment shows including, Would I Lie To You? and Celebrity Best Home Cook.
Earlier this month, Ruth told Who Do You Think You Are viewers on BBC One: “Those secondary school years.. those teenage years were really, really hard. But it was never seen as a reason not to achieve or to not be happy
“I never grew up seeing anyone on screen that looked like me.”
Ruth also campaigns for disability awareness. She has continued to fundraise for Whizz Kidz since she was a child and was recognised as a patron of the charity in 2019.
Ruth Madeley’s character in The Rapture
The Rapture is based on the best-selling novel of the same name and it is likely to leave you gripped.
Ruth’s character is a forensic psychologist called Dr Gabs Fox. She’s just landed a new job at a high-security psychiatric hospital and is straight in at the deep end.
Gabs meets 17-year-old Bethany Krall, who has been convicted of murdering her mother. Bethany, who insists she is innocent, claims to have psychic powers and predict the future. But will Gabs believe her?
Ruth’s character is a wheelchair user. Dr Gabs Fox is newly disabled, having suffered a spinal cord injury in a bad car accident. After having spinal rehab, she moves to Wales. This is where The Rapture begins.
Ruth says: “When The Rapture first came to me, I fell in love with the character – her story, her grief, her flaws.
“Seeing a disabled lead is always really exciting and knowing I can play that well and be the right person for it is even more exciting. I love her flaws. I never want to play a character who’s too perfect. It’s not real.”
