ITV Emmerdale’s Ryan Stocks star James Moore’s life off screen from ‘non-traditional’ wedding to health battle
ITV Emmerdale actor James Moore, who plays Ryan Stocks on the soap, recently tied the knot to his partner Sophie Edwards in a stunning ceremony surrounded by family and friends
ITV Emmerdale actor James Moore has been a fan favourite since joining 2018 (Image: mirror.co.uk)
James Moore, best known for his portrayal of Ryan Stocks in the popular ITV soap Emmerdale, has been warmly embraced by fans since his arrival on the show.
The actor, from Cheltenham, first appeared on our screens in 2018 as Charity Dingle’s long-lost son. This revelation came during a deeply distressing sexual abuse storyline, where it was disclosed that Charity’s son was conceived after she was raped by policeman Mark Bails at just 14 years old.
Ryan’s arrival in the Yorkshire village in search of 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.
James playing the role of Ryan Stocks on Emmerdale ( Image: ITV)
Off-screen, James leads a much quieter life. Prior to joining the cast of Emmerdale, he completed a degree in photography and honed his acting skills at the National Youth Theatre.
Health Battle
James lives with ataxic cerebral palsy and is a passionate advocate for disability representation in the media. In a candid conversation with Disability Horizons about his condition, he shared: “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 enthused: “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.”
Emmerdale Ryan and GailLove life
The romance blossomed for James and his sweetheart Sophie Edwards, who took the plunge and got engaged in May 2022, culminating in a dreamy lakeside manor house wedding. Hints about their big day were dropped by James earlier this week when he updated his Instagram bio to ‘Husband to Sophie Edwards.
Their idyllic ceremony welcomed one hundred guests, including several familiar faces from Emmerdale. James brought flair to his wedding attire, choosing a dapper deep purple two-piece suit as his outfit for walking down the aisle.
James Moore recently tied the knot to his partner Sophie Edwards in a stunning ceremony ( Image: Instagram)
Sophie captivated everyone as she made her grand entrance in a fairy-tale-like gown, adorned with delicate leaf patterns. They gave the celebrations a unique twist with a Simpsons-themed doughnut wall and even set up a station for temporary Pokemon tattoos.
Speaking to OK!, James shared his view on wedding traditions, saying: “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.
