[1] Her father and grandfather owned an opticians' business, and her mother worked as a wardrobe mistress at Dundee Rep.[1] Ripley would accompany her mother to rehearsals and replaced a young actress in the play Roar Like a Dove one week before it opened, which gained the notice of a talent scout.
[1] It was the first film for the two child stars, Ripley and Adrian Hall, who were cast after an extensive talent search.
[1][3][4] Her earnings from the film were held in trust until her 18th birthday, but she later recalled "After 10 years of it being invested, it was only about £7,000".
[8] In 2016, Ripley was a volunteer worker at the Lagadikia refugee camp outside Thessaloniki in Greece which provided food, clothing and support to about 875 people.
[9] In 2020, she voiced the character Babs in the independent-made short animation Lavatory of Terror,[5] telephoning her lines in via her smartphone.