Who plays the detective in Emmerdale grilling Ruby and investigating Nate’s death? Meet Amanda Ryan

Ruby's investigator has been in lots of things
Carena Crawford
By Carena Crawford

Another Emmerdale detective has caught our eye as Ruby Miligan faces a grilling over her claims she killed her father in tonight’s episode. DS Walsh, played by Amanda Ryan, has been in just about everything!

From Coronation Street to EastEnders and even a Hollywood film, Amanda is no stranger to our screens.

Here’s all we know about her.

Ruby is interviewed by the police in Emmerdale
Ruby is ready to tell the police everything (Credit: ITV)

Who plays the detective grilling Ruby and investigating Nate’s death in Emmerdale?

DS Walsh is leading the investigation into the body in the lake – who Ruby has confessed to being her father, Anthony Fox, and exposed herself as the killer.

DS Walsh is played by Amanda Ryan. Born in London in October 1971, 53-year-old Amanda trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

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She has starred in TV shows, movies and also on the stage.

DS Walsh's attentions turn to Tracy next week (Credit: ITV)
DS Walsh’s attentions turn to Tracy next week (Credit: ITV)

DS Walsh looking into Ruby’s confession in Emmerdale

Ruby Miligan was horrified when it was revealed a body had surfaced in the lake. Not knowing where John Sugden has buried her father’s body after she suffocated him, she was convinced the corpse must have been Anthony.

Of course, viewers know there is another dead body in that lake waiting to be found: Nate Robinson. But Ruby doesn’t. And desperate to protect her family and tell her side of the story first, she hot-footed it to the police station and confessed to her crime.

DS Walsh has been the one presiding over Ruby’s case and asking the questions. But Caleb is determined to get her out of this and will go to any lengths necessary. So will DS Walsh catch her killer?

In Wednesday’s episode (June 4), there is a development in the case while Ruby is being questioned. Soon Walsh is knocking on Tracy’s door with news for her.

Spoilers tells us that news is Nate’s body has at last been uncovered. And DS Walsh will begin investigating his murder, with Cain, then Tracy in her firing line.

So it looks like we’re set to see a lot of the detective on screen in Emmerdale in the coming weeks.

Emmerdale star Amanda Ryan has been in Hollywood films (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale star Amanda Ryan has been in Hollywood films (Credit: ITV)

Amanda Ryan and her film past

So who is actress Amanda Ryan then? Amanda has been in plenty of films and TV shows since her arrival on the acting scene. Her most notable role came in 1998 Oscar winning film Elizabeth. The movie starred Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I. Amanda played Lettice Howard, the fictional lover of the Duke of Norfolk.

She has also appeared in film Metroland as well as Red Mercury and 2015’s Anti-social.

Amanda Ryan as abused Mel Sinclair in Casualty (Credit: BBC)
Amanda Ryan as abused Mel Sinclair in Casualty (Credit: BBC)

The Emmerdale detective is no stranger to Soapland!

As for TV appearances, Amanda is no stranger to soap! She was in EastEnders in 2007 as Mad May’s sister, Verity. She also had a role in Coronation Street as a doctor in 2015 who gave Gail’s husband Michael bad news about his health.

In Channel 4 series Shameless, Amanda played police officer Carrie Rogers. Carrie was an aggressive cop not afraid to use brute force to get answers, or seduce anyone who might get her into trouble. She was revealed as a crooked cop later in the series and eventually left in season six after getting a promotion.

She was also in the 2002 adapation of The Forsythe Saga playing Holly. Other credits include Doctors, This is Going to Hurt, The Marlowe Sessions, Midsommer Murders and Lewis.

Most recently, Amanda starred in six episodes of Casualty as Mel Sinclair. Forming part of the huge exit for Charlie Fairhead in the boxset A History of Violence in 2024, Mel was the abused wife of police officer Harry Sinclair. Charlie was eventually the one who helped save her life after she went missing following a car accident with her husband.

Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale? All the cast exits, arrivals and returns

Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.

Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.

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