James Chase, who plays the malicious Tom King on Emmerdale, has hinted at a troubled future for his character, stating he wouldn't necessarily reform if he were sentenced to prison. In the gripping ITV soap, Tom has inflicted months of abuse on estranged wife Belle King (portrayed by Eden Taylor-Draper), and despite efforts by the police to collect evidence against him, the terror persists.
ITV executives have confirmed an upcoming drama-packed episode where Belle finally finds the strength to inform the authorities about her husband's abusive conduct. This hour-long special set for December is poised to cast a spotlight on the struggles faced by victims of domestic violence as the intense storyline reaches a climactic conclusion.
For 18 excruciating months, audiences have watched local vet Tom's descent into cruelty, but actor James has shared insights on whether his alter ego could endure life in the slammer. James explained: "Tom is a survivor to be honest so I think there would be an initial few months of the reality of the situation setting in for him."
He suggests that while Tom may initially experience profound depression and intimidation within the prison environment, over time, he'd adapt. He said: "He would likely be incredibly depressed and scared of where he is. But with time he would evolve and I fear that he would come out perhaps worse, depending on how bad the prison is and what kind of people he meets there."
The soap star added: "He is a bad man but he is a survivor - he would no doubt survive in prison and adapt to be stronger." Tom has so far managed to convince his uncle Jimmy (Nick Miles) that Belle is lying and has a vendetta against him.
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He has also managed to manipulate Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell) into having a relationship with him. But will Belle ever get justice for Tom's evil behaviour?
James continued: "He thinks he can get away with it as he has a sort of God complex. He thinks he's incredibly intelligent. He is intelligent."
He further compared Tom to a notorious character from popular fiction, saying: "Tom is cunning, conniving and clever - and I would kind of compare him to Littlefinger from A Game of Thrones. Tom is good at manipulation. He's good at turning people on each other for his own benefit."
James delved deeper into Tom's psyche, revealing: "He enjoys playing people and playing scenarios. Tom is brilliant at it. If he was born in medieval times he would probably be a king! Pardon the pun with his name."
However, Tom's moral compass is non-existent, as James pointed out: "But he has a lack of empathy and morality and it can get you a very long way. He thinks he can get away with it."
He added: "There are things that have happened like the axe going in his back and of course he has eye witnesses of people who saw Belle pushing him over."
Tom's confidence in his control over the situation is evident as James concluded: "So he thinks he's got a lot of ammunition against her. He wants to win and believes he still can."
Will Tom get away with abusing Belle?
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
