ITV Emmerdale Ryan star James Moore's life - health battle to 'non-traditional' wedding

James Moore, best known for his portrayal of Ryan Stocks in the popular ITV soap Emmerdale, has been warmly received by audiences since he joined the cast.

The actor, originally from Cheltenham, first appeared on the show in 2018 as Charity Dingle's long-lost son. His character was introduced during a distressing storyline about Charity's sexual abuse.

Charity's son was conceived when she was raped at the age of 14 by policeman Mark Bails. Ryan's arrival in the Yorkshire village searching for his mother sent shockwaves through the Dingle family.

Since then, he has been involved in several major plotlines, including Charity's legal battle against Ryan's wicked biological father, the corrupt police officer Mark Bails.

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In contrast to his on-screen life, James' real life is much less tumultuous. Prior to joining Emmerdale, he completed a degree in photography and trained at the National Youth Theatre.

Health Battle

James has ataxic cerebral palsy and is a strong advocate for disability representation in the media. In a conversation with Disability Horizons about his condition, he explained: "So firstly, I have cerebral palsy (CP), but it's Ataxic CP, which basically means that I struggle with movement and co-ordination. I find it difficult to walk long distances and there are certain things I know I can't do, but I've adapted to these challenges in my day-to-day life.He added: ".

He shared his enthusiasm for his role, saying: "This is why I love being a part of Emmerdale, it's showing disability in a new light and letting viewers know that disabled people can be independent and have full, healthy lives. Together, we're proving that disability isn't a defining factor."

Love life

In his personal life, James and his fiancee Sophie Edwards made the ultimate commitment after their engagement in May 2022, celebrating their union at a picturesque lakeside manor house. The actor dropped a hint about the impending nuptials earlier in the week when he updated his Instagram bio to include 'Husband to Sophie Edwards.'

Their wedding was attended by one hundred guests, among them fellow cast members from Emmerdale. James wasn't shy about injecting his personality into the ceremony, choosing to don a striking deep purple two-piece suit as he walked down the aisle.

For her part, Sophie exuded grace in a princess-style wedding gown adorned with leaf patterns. Reflecting their unique characters, the couple opted for a Simpsons-themed doughnut wall instead of a traditional sweet cart and even had a temporary tattoo booth featuring designs from Pokemon.

Speaking to OK about their approach to wedding conventions, James said: "We never wanted to be particularly traditional. I mean, my suit was blooming purple. It took me months to find."

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.