Emmerdale: Belle confesses her abuse to Charity
Emmerdale star Lisa Riley was full of praise for her co-star Eden Taylor-Draper after a special Belle Dingle episode on Thursday.
The hit ITV soap aired a stylised episode focused upon Belle and the domestic abuse she’s been suffering at the hands of her evil husband Tom King (James Chase) on Thursday night. Only recently the ITV soap has been tackling a coercive control storyline with Tom and Belle.
And the captivating episode presented viewers with three alternate futures that Belle might face after Tom warned her he would never stop pursuing her the previous night. This led Belle into an almost surreal sequence of visions about what her future could entail.
By the episode's conclusion, Belle courageously opened up to Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) about the torment she's endured. Charity empathically expressed it was an 'honour' to be trusted with this revelation and vowed: "That man is never going to hurt you again!"
Following the airing of the emotional episode, Lisa, who portrays Mandy Dingle and is a co-star to Eden, who plays Belle, took to Instagram to express her thoughts. Sharing a picture of Belle in character, she wrote: "The power of tonights episode-one word INCREDIBLE. To everyone involved-INCREDIBLE the script from start to finish-INCREDIBLE the impact of this storyline-INCREDIBLE and without a shadow of a doubt….. @swedentd performance each and every scene she acts-INCREDIBLE @emmerdale #emmerdale #belle #control #incredible #proud" with clapping emojis, reports the Mirror.
Emmerdale fans were quick to echo Lisa's sentiments while some viewers issued a desperate plea. As the episode featured potential and future realities, viewers expressed their hope that the final powerful scene with Charity was real and not a dream.
One viewer commented: "OMG got totally lost in that episode. I'm praying the last bit with charity was the reality bit" followed by a crying emoji. Another asked: "But telling Charity was real right? Right? #Emmerdale". A different fan queried: "Did Belle tell Charity now or in the future? #Emmerdale," while another added: "I'm still confused is her telling charity actually what happened or is she thinking that in her head as one of the scenarios of how to move on and tell someone? #Emmerdale."
A different fan queried: "Did Belle tell Charity now or in the future? #Emmerdale," while another added: "I'm still confused is her telling charity actually what happened or is she thinking that in her head as one of the scenarios of how to move on and tell someone? #Emmerdale."
Eden, who plays Belle, recently expressed her excitement about the upcoming episode, stating: "I'm excited for everyone to see this 'dream' episode as I feel it's a great representation of what's going on inside Belle's mind and the constant fear even though she is no longer 'in' the abusive relationship. It was a very special episode to film, I understand viewers will find it distressing and uncomfortable but I am so proud we are exploring this to its full potential to give people a real insight to what can go on."
*If you have been affected by this story, you can access free and confidential support from Refuge’s 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 and digital support via live chat Monday-Friday 3-10pm. You can also visit the tech safety website to learn more about technology-facilitated abuse.
