Yahoo News Emmerdale star breaks silence on Belle Dingle's dark new story
The following article contains discussion of themes including coercive control and domestic abuse.
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale star Eden Taylor-Draper has spoken out about Belle Dingle's dark new story, as her new husband Tom King becomes increasingly controlling and abusive of her.
Viewers have already seen several instances of worrying behaviour from Tom, from physically pushing Belle to humiliating her after she tried to give him a romantic surprise.
The soap has since confirmed that Belle and Tom's storyline will run for some time and will cover numerous forms of abuse, including coercive control, physical violence and technology-facilitated abuse.
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Actress Taylor-Draper has told TV Times magazine that, following Belle and Tom's honeymoon, life is only going to get more difficult for Belle, particularly after she lands a new job at Take A Vow.
"Tom always has a reason for his behaviour," she said. "He'll do something horrific and instantly turn it on her. So then Belle's like, 'I'm so sorry, it's my fault.' She feels like she is a burden to him, and she has long suffered with mental-health issues, so that is a way he can make her feel extra vulnerable."
It isn't long before Tom starts to monitor his wife's every move, beginning with putting a tracking device on her phone.
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"The charities we've worked with have said that tech control is massively on the rise," Taylor-Draper said, adding that "there are other ways" that Tom uses technology to monitor Belle in addition to the tracker.
The actress added that Belle will feel increasingly isolated from the Dingle family, particularly as they are already struggling with Chastity's cancer diagnosis, Charity's trauma and Nate and Caleb's major fall-out over Tracy.
Explaining that her family see Belle as a 'success story' and Tom as "such a good guy", Taylor-Draper said that her character is convinced that she can make the marriage work.
"I don't know what it would take for her to realise she needs to get out," she said.
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However, when Tom's cruel behaviour does eventually come to light, it's clear that the Dingle family will be after justice.
"You mess with one Dingle, you mess with all of them," the actress said. "If and when they find out the truth, the Dingles will be raging."
Emmerdale has been working with advocacy groups New Beginnings Peer Support and Refuge on the storyline, with producer Laura Shaw having spoken about how important it is for the soap to raise awareness of domestic abuse.
"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," she said.
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.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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