ITV Emmerdale newcomer 'in awe' of Amelia Flanagan as he speaks about 'soap family'

A photograph of Emmerdale on ITV
-Credit:ITV


Emmerdale viewers will meet a fresh face in tonight's episode - however, the actor portraying the new character Stan has admitted that he had to transform his life in order to secure the role. Ryan Wormald has "turned his life around" after suffering from drug use and mental health issues. A few years later, after starting acting classes, Ryan has landed himself a role on the hit ITV soap, Emmerdale and has spoken to the ECHO about his journey.

The dad-of-three has suffered from mental health issues, which led to him being diagnosed with psychosis. As he tried to find a way to move past these dark times in his life, Ryan discovered acting.

The 41-year old joined an acting agency in 2022, and was able to rebuild his confidence. After gaining "control over his own life", Ryan no longer requires access to mental health services.

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Ryan is completely open about his struggles, and wants to share his journey with others. He told the ECHO: "Acting really changed my life. I had a whole new lifestyle and a new sense of being aware." By expressing his feelings creatively at Matt Zina Acting, Ryan was able to "control his emotions" for the first time in his life and he now has his own personal goals for the future.

He is set to appear on screens tonight as 'Stan', on the ITV soap. On Tuesday February 4, Emmerdale fans will see a special standalone episode. April Windsor, daughter of Marlon Dingle, has been missing since Christmas day.

Tonight's episode takes viewers back to witness April's heartbreaking story and her life on the streets. Ryan shared some of his memories of being on the Emmerdale set. He said: "I really loved being on set, everyone was down to Earth and there really was a lot of nice people.

A photograph of Ryan Wormald who will appear as 'Stan' in a special standalone episode of Emmerdale
Ryan will appear as 'Stan' in a special standalone episode of Emmerdale -Credit:Ryan Wormald

"Being on set was such good fun, but they were really long days." He recalled one moment of bumping into 'Aaron', played by Danny Miller on set. He said: "I was sat in the canteen in the village, and Aaron [Danny] walked past and said 'Are you alright lad?'"

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He commented on the actor's "friendliness", adding: "I felt like I knew him." However, Danny wasn't the only star Ryan met on set, as he was "in awe" by Amelia Flanagan.

The 16-year old actress has played April Windsor on the soap for over a decade. Recalling his experience with Amelia on set, Ryan said: "She was really professional, acting just comes natural to her. It was clear she really loves her Emmerdale family."

Ryan said the standalone "hard-hitting" episode is centred around April's return to the village. His character, 'Stan' is much like himself, and his scenes show the after-effects of something bad happening in his character's personal life..

During the audition process, Ryan saw many similarities between himself and Stan. He revealed the director "knew he wanted me straight away."

A photograph of actor Ryan Wormald who turned his life around after suffering with mental health issues
Ryan Wormald turned his life around after suffering with mental health issues

After everything that Ryan had been through, the directors knew that he could bring something really special to the role. He said he could just "be himself" in the character, as he told the ECHO he is "still learning" everything there is to know about the world of acting.

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Ryan is keen to share his journey with others. He said: "If you want to act you can find a way." His experience tells the story of the importance of accessibility in the industry, and how creative outlets really can make a difference to those struggling with mental health.

He hopes to inspire others, transforming from someone who felt trapped within incredibly difficult circumstances, to now having more creative freedom and landing a named role in an ITV soap.

Ryan has set himself even bigger goals for the future, having recognised his true potential. The dad hopes to make his three children proud, after acting "changed his life" for the better.

Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 7.30pm on ITV and STV with episodes available for streaming on ITVX and STVPlayer.