Ruth Madeley has opened up about the heartbreaking moment doctors told her mum there was “little hope” after she was diagnosed with spina bifida before she was born.
The Who Do You Think You Are? star, 38, features in tonight’s BBC genealogy series as she uncovers a long-hidden secret on her father’s side of the family.
But while many viewers know Ruth from roles in Doctor Who, Years and Years and The War Between the Land and the Sea, some may not know the story behind why she uses a wheelchair.
Ruth Madeley’s mum was given ‘little hope’
Six weeks before Ruth was born, doctors discovered she had spina bifida, a condition where a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not fully develop during pregnancy.
Looking back on the diagnosis, Ruth has revealed the bleak outlook her parents were given.
Writing for the BBC, she explained: “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 survived, although it later became clear she would always have difficulty walking.
She also developed scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, and underwent numerous operations throughout her childhood.
Why does Ruth Madeley use a wheelchair?
Ruth has used a wheelchair since she was a young child.
When she was five years old, children’s charity Whizz Kidz gave her a custom-made pink wheelchair – something she still remembers fondly.
She previously told The Times: “It was so cool-looking. Barbie on wheels. That was all I ever wanted to be.”
Rather than holding her back, Ruth says her family always encouraged her to believe she could achieve anything.
Speaking in Who Do You Think You Are?, she reflects: “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.”
Acting career and disability awareness
Ruth never formally trained as an actress. She has previously revealed she was cast “by accident” after completing work experience at the BBC, where a television executive encouraged her to audition.
She has since appeared in Doctor Who, Years and Years, Fresh Meat, The Rapture and The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Away from acting, Ruth has become a passionate disability campaigner and has continued to support Whizz Kidz, becoming a patron of the charity in 2019.
Ruth uncovers family secret in Who Do You Think You Are?
Tonight’s episode sees Ruth investigate her father Geoff’s side of the family after years of unanswered questions.
She explains: “Growing up, me and my sister knew a lot about my mum’s side. They were all really close. But on my dad’s side, we didn’t really know anything.
“We weren’t as close. They were more spread out and the relationship felt a bit strange.”
Ruth also reveals her father knew very little about his own mother’s background.
“My dad didn’t know anything at all. He just said his mum was quite quiet and had some pictures, but we didn’t know anything about her background.”
The investigation leads to a major revelation when the family discovers Geoff’s mother, Beatrice, had been adopted – something Geoff himself had never known.
Ruth praised the BBC production team for how they handled the discovery.
“They told my dad first,” she said. “The team were incredible and so supportive. When they said they’d found sensitive information, I thought somebody had murdered somebody, but they told my dad his mum was adopted and we had no idea.”
Who Do You Think You Are? airs at 9pm on BBC One on Thursday July 9, 2026.
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