Belle Dingle devastated by controlling husband Tom’s vile abuse in Emmerdale
TOM King’s villainous nature has finally come out into the open as he progressively controls his new bride Belle Dingle.
Next week, the Emmerdale favourite is devastated when her beau seemingly tries to sabotage her career. What will she do?
ITV viewers have been concerned for Belle Dingle for several weeks as Tom King’s behaviour is becoming increasingly controlling and abusive.
The fan favourite played by Eden Taylor-Draper has been thrown into a hard-hitting coercive control storyline after rekindling her romance with Carl King’s son.
Tom (James Chase) was initially a loving partner but, following their explosive and ill-fated wedding reception, he has been humiliating his wife on numerous occasions.
To top it all off, Tom clearly isn’t satisfied with the independence Belle wishes to have as she focuses some of her attention on her growing career as a businesswoman.
Coming up next week in the eponymous Yorkshire village, Belle and Tom look after Elliot Windsor and Carl Holliday as Jimmy King and his wife Nicola head off to visit their incarcerated daughter Angelica.
But the day turns into a nightmare for Belle and she’s horrified to find her laptop broke by a split milkshake as the chances of her completing her proposal drastically diminish.
Who could be responsible?
Could Elliot and Carl have destroyed Belle’s laptop by accident?
Or could Tom have damaged it to continue holding her back by his side?
As regular viewers of the Yorkshire-based drama will recall, Belle has been hoping to combine her wellness venture – which she began with help from the late Al Chapman who admired her business acumen – with Suzy Merton’s (Martelle Edinborough) wedding and event planning business.
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Unfortunately, Tom was upfront with Belle about how unhappy he was with her new project, which prompted her to decide not to go through with it.
She was then further shocked when Tom acted as though he’d had no issue with her business venture.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Tom then proceeded to gaslight and manipulate Belle, who remains unaware of his mind games.
But soap fans are convinced Tom’s behaviour could escalate into physical abuse as he has shown Belle his violent streak.
Belle was once shoved by Tom after rejecting his initially wedding proposal and she was left bloodied after the incident.
Despite the many red flags, Belle has been keeping quiet for Tom’s benefit.
Will she ever seek help?
What else could Tom do?
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.