The following article references physical and emotional abuse.
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale has confirmed it will conclude Belle Dingle and Tom King’s coercive control storyline with a special episode.
Throughout this year, viewers have watched Belle desperately trying to escape from her cruel husband’s emotional and physical abuse.
Belle has recently taken a break from the village to seek mental health treatment at the same time as more of the Emmerdale villagers suspect Tom may be lying about his innocence.
The soap has now confirmed that a one-hour episode airing this December will wrap up the storyline, following Belle’s decision to report Tom to the police.
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Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw confirmed that the soap will break from its usual format in this special instalment by sharing the real stories of domestic abuse victims and survivors.
“When we first embarked on this journey we knew we wanted to show domestic abuse, coercive control and manipulation in all its guises,” Shaw said. “The privilege we have on a drama such as Emmerdale is being able to show the reality of a situation like Belle’s over a longer period of time to authentically reflect what so many people go through in real life on a daily basis.”
Shaw promised fans that Belle would get “some sort of closure” in this gripping hour since the “Emmerdale audience always look forward to our villains getting their comeuppance”.
“We don’t want to spoil the outcome of this story and reveal what will happen to Tom, but needless to say, Belle’s going to be in a much better place by this Christmas,” Shaw said.
Lindsay Oliver, CEO of domestic violence charity New Beginnings Peer Support, also spoke about working with the Emmerdale team on this storyline throughout the past year.
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“When Emmerdale explained they hoped to include the real life testimonies of domestic abuse victims and survivors within these scenes we knew it would be the truest way for them to authentically close this storyline,” Oliver said.
“We have been on board with this story since 2023 when Emmerdale first approached us about depicting a cohesive and controlling relationship on the series. We are pleased Emmerdale have highlighted and are continuing to showcase this issue right to the end.
“And we hope these final episodes will continue to raise awareness about domestic abuse, controlling relationships and the fact there is help out there.”
Tom and Belle’s storyline has received multiple format-breaking episodes throughout this year, including the dramatic Welsh cabin scenes and a look into alternate realities for the pair.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, organisations including Refuge (www.refuge.org.uk), New Beginnings Peer Support (www.newbeginningspeersupport.com) and Women’s Aid (www.womensaid.org.uk) can provide further support and information. The 24-hour, freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247. The US National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or text LOVEIS to 22522.
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