Emmerdale fans should brace themselves for things to take a darker turn in Tom King’s abuse

of wife Belle Dingle. Tom, played by James Chase, is seemingly showing his romantic side as he

whisks Belle (Eden Taylor Draper) off to a holiday cottage in Wales. But his intentions are soon

clear as the trip is part of his sneaky plan to physically isolate her from her friends and family after months of increasing his coercive control over her. And things quickly spiral out of control in this self-contained episode set to air on ITV1 and ITVX next week. Emmerdale Producer Sophie Roper explains: “When Tom takes Belle to Wales, Tom’s coercive and controlling behaviour will isolate Belle further 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.”

Featuring a flashback episode, viewers will see Tom and Belle’s happy arrival at the remote cottage. But when Belle overhears her husband arranging to extend their stay, through flashbacks we see the full extent of their week, with scenes revealing Tom’s physical and emotional control over wife Belle and their dog Piper. 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.