Emmerdale's villain Tom King, portrayed by actor James Chase, has been at the centre of a gripping coercive control storyline involving Belle Dingle, played by Eden Taylor-Draper. The ITV soap is set to broadcast a special hour-long episode this Thursday, delving into the domestic abuse Belle endures from her malevolent spouse Tom.
Off-screen, however, James Chase is a world apart from his on-screen persona. The actor recently took to Instagram to offer fans a glimpse into his personal life beyond the drama of Emmerdale.
In a recent post, he shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos from an intense episode featuring Tom and Belle that aired earlier in the year. Fans will remember the chilling scenes where Tom escalated his controlling behaviour, secluding Belle in a remote Welsh cottage, from which she eventually managed to flee with her dog Piper.
Accompanying the behind-the-scenes images, James wrote: "Behind the scenes from the Wales episode. So proud of everyone who had a part in the creation of this unique and intense episode of @emmerdale. Here's some highlights from the week we made it."
In one snap James is posing with smiling co-star Eden and their then on-screen dog Piper while another photo sees the actor showing off a fake injury created by the soap's makeup team for the filming. Elsewhere, other snaps see members of the filming crew on set and various props used for the episodes, reports the Mirror.
James' co-stars were quick to comment on the post as Eden penned: "special week W special people" with a heart, Jacob Gallagher star Joe-Warren Plant wrote: "Such a great episode! Top performances from you both x" while Vanessa Woodfield star Michelle Hardwick added: "Ahh love this! What an episode! You were both terrific."
In another post, James shared a glimpse of a recent soap event, featuring a snapshot alongside Coronation Street's resident villain, Calum Lill, who plays Joel Deering.
The caption read: "Had a brilliant time at the @radiotimes #Soapawards with the @emmerdale gang. Congratulations to everyone who won!"
Calum playfully commented on the picture, hinting at a potential villainous collaboration: "The Blue Chequered Villains... surely a series pending."
Earlier in the year, James shared a photo alongside Bradley Johnson, who plays Vinny Dingle, following an intense episode where their characters clashed. The picture showcased the duo enjoying a pint of Guinness with the caption: "We're good pals in real life just so you know."
