ITV Emmerdale reveals new sinister Tom and Belle twist as soap tackles abuse storyline

Emmerdale is set to air worrying scenes as the hit ITV soap will depict Belle Dingle and Tom King’s controlling and abusive marital relationship.

Tom and Belle tied the knot earlier this month and have just returned from their honeymoon but fans have long suspected his behaviour hasn’t been right. Tom has been showing very worrying behaviour for months and even on the night of their wedding, Belle questioned whether she had made the right choice.

Tom has been exhibiting clear signs of coercive control and there are indications this could develop into physical abuse, as well as mental abuse, as last year Belle covered up the fact that Tom shoved her, causing her to hit her head. So far, Belle has kept Tom’s behaviour to herself and things are only going to get more worrying when Tom starts using different methods of technology to assert his control over her.

The soap will be exploring the complex nature of domestic abuse over the coming weeks with various manifestations of abuse, including coercive control, emotional abuse, physical abuse and technology-facilitated abuse displayed by Tom. It will also highlight how escalates over time and how isolation from family and friends, love bombing, and manipulation can be used.

Emmerdale has been working with outside partners to research the hard-hitting topic, as well as domestic abuse charity New Beginnings Peer Support, after a rise in Tech Abuse following the Covid pandemic, which involves using trackers and hidden cameras to control and track a partner.

Talking about the storyline, producer, Laura Shaw, said: “Soaps are in the extraordinary position of being able to highlight what happens behind the public face of an abusive relationship, over a longer period of time. The audience knows these characters so well, sometimes as well as they might know their own friends and family and they care deeply about them. As harrowing as it can be to watch this type of storyline play out, it’s imperative that we use our platform to shine a light on domestic abuse, and help give a voice to people who have so often been silenced.”

Meanwhile, Belle star Eden Taylor-Draper said: “When we first heard from the producers the way the Tom and Belle relationship story was going to go, we were fully aware of the responsibility that would bring. But it is an important story to tell.

“Soaps offer the viewer a glimpse of life behind closed doors and reveal what people present to the world isn’t always a truth. The sad reality is that behaviour like this in a relationship is all too prevalent. I hope we do this story justice. And if people are in a situation like this they should definitely get help.”

Elsewhere, domestic abuse charity New Beginnings Peer Support CEO Lindsay Olive said: “As an after-crisis service we see the longevity of the trauma resulting from domestic abuse and firmly believe preventative measures are key.

“We therefore, very much welcome Emmerdale covering this storyline to highlight the realities of domestic abuse, red flags within a relationship and the challenges of leaving. Domestic abuse remains a hidden pandemic and the more information in the public domain to increase awareness, the higher the chance of perpetrator behaviour being recognised and victims gaining the support they require.”

While Emma Pickering, Head of Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment at Refuge, added: “Refuge is pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the writers and producers of Emmerdale, to develop the storyline between Tom and Belle and show viewers the sad realities of domestic abuse.”