Emmerdale’s Belle isolated as husband Tom exerts his control

Next week the ITV soap will air a special flashback episode featuring the pair.

Emmerdale’s Tom King (James Chase) further exerts his control over Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) in a self-contained episode of the soap due to air on ITV1 and ITVX next week.

As part of his manipulation of his wife, he takes Belle to a secluded holiday cottage in Wales, cutting her off from her loved ones.

Viewers will see their happy arrival at the remote dwelling. However, as Belle eavesdrops on her husband making plans to prolong their visit, flashbacks unveil the complete picture of their week, showcasing scenes of Tom’s dominance over Belle and their dog Piper, both physically and emotionally.

Producer Sophie Roper said:

“When Tom takes Belle to Wales, Tom’s coercive and controlling behaviour will see Belle further isolated from her family. The behaviour Tom King is exhibiting is typical of a coercive controlling relationship and at times will prove difficult and uncomfortable to watch. The assistance the charity Refuge has given us whilst researching this storyline has been enormously helpful in bringing this incredibly important storyline to our screens.”

With little chance of escape Belle realises she’s totally cut off from all those she loves. Constantly trying to do her best for him, but with Tom blaming all their troubles on her, the balance of power has truly shifted.

Emma Pickering, Head of Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment at Refuge said:

“Working with Emmerdale on this storyline we really wanted to capture the isolation and control that we know underpins domestic abuse. We know some viewers have found the Belle and Tom storyline hard to watch at times, but it is so important when we are talking about domestic abuse and covering it; even in a fictional sense, that it is true to life.

“We are so grateful to Emmerdale for allowing us to feed in with our expert knowledge and the vital awareness this storyline is raising about this issue.

The organisation offers free and confidential support for women and children facing domestic violence through its helpline at 0808 2000 247.

With filming taking place in Yorkshire, the Emmerdale design and construction team created the holiday cottage that will be used in the programme.

Head of Design Gillian Slight explains of the process:

“The location is actually part of Emmerdale’s village complex, it’s on the outskirts and hasn’t really been seen by the viewers so it’s believable that it’s a property 300 miles away from the Yorkshire Dales.

“We have total access and control over the building, so we were free to decorate and furnish the interior and exterior. The garden was basically a pile of builders rubble, so landscaping and planting was necessary, to make it look pretty. The whole job took about 4 weeks to complete.”

Emmerdale, weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1 and STV