Emmerdale confirms special episode for Tom and Belle King as domestic abuse storyline continues

Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw has confirmed an upcoming special episode focusing on Tom and Belle King’s domestic abuse storyline in the ITV soap. 

Since the couple got married a few weeks ago and Belle Dingle/King (Eden Taylor-Draper) was left in tears following Tom’s (James Chase) outburst over her family. Viewers have watched as Tom’s behaviour has started to become more controlling. His latest plot is making his new wife think her beloved dog Piper has gone missing. 

Speaking at a recent press event, producer Laura Shaw explained: “We've seen how Tom and Belle's wedding night ended with Belle in tears. Since then, we've seen how Tom has started to manipulate Belle and coercively control her.

“This long-running storyline has been really carefully researched and it's going to continue over the next few months. Through the real-life stories that we've been given access to, and the information and the time that we've spent with charities like Refuge, what we've really learned is just how quickly these coercive control relationships can turn physical.

“Through our story lining, we've been trying to find new and innovative ways to tell the story. We've got a bit of a special episode coming up, where we do what everyone seems to like by stepping away from our usual Emmerdale format and doing things a little bit differently.

Lauren also teased fans by saying “It's not the only special episode we've got planned for this year, but I don't think I'm allowed to tell you anything else!”

Emmerdale airs on weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV1, and ITVX.

Natalie Dixon is NationalWorld’s Lifestyle reporter. If you liked this article and want to read more about soaps, celebrities and lifestyle you can follow Natalie Dixon on X here. 

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