Inside Emmerdale star Eden Taylor-Draper life - including family health battle

Emmerdale's Eden Taylor-Draper has been delivering a powerful performance as the abused wife Belle Dingle on the popular ITV soap. Belle has recently been enduring domestic violence from her estranged husband Tom King, played by James Chase.

Despite ending their relationship, Belle continued to struggle with the idea of confiding in someone and seeking justice.

On Christmas Day, viewers will see a 'miracle' unfold as Belle's beloved dog Piper returns, having initially been believed dead due to one of Tom's cruel acts.

While Belle's storyline has gripped Emmerdale fans, some may not be familiar with actress Eden's life off-screen.

Born in Selby, Yorkshire, in 1997, Eden first graced Emmerdale at the tender age of eight in 2005. Away from the spotlight, Eden is in a committed relationship with Ed Lewis, frequently sharing snaps of them together on Instagram.

She has also opened up about her family life, including discussing the impact of her sister Francesca's cancer diagnosis when she was just 14.

Eden, who was around 20 at the time, provided unwavering support for her sister, visiting her weekly to boost her morale and even staying with her in the hospital.

Eden shared with The Mirror the heart-wrenching moment she learned of her sister's diagnosis while on the Emmerdale set. She recalled: "When I came off set for my tea break, Dad called and it was such a blur. I felt like someone had ripped my stomach out and I broke down."

She continued: "I was with Issy Hodgins, who plays Victoria [Sugden], when I got the call, and she just held me for ages. I couldn't go back to do my next scene. But Emmerdale were so supportive and let me go see Chess at Leeds General hospital straight away."

Francesca battled acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy and even surviving a dangerous bout of sepsis. Her treatment continued intensively until December 2018 before transitioning to maintenance chemotherapy.

The treatment required Francesca to attend monthly treatments and take daily chemo tablets. Eden took a month-long hiatus from Emmerdale to be with her sister, visiting her in the hospital multiple times a week.

She reminisced: "Chessie had her bed and I had a little bed next to her. Mornings would be a snuggle, cup of tea and re-runs of Come Dine with Me. I tried to keep Chess as cosy as possible. We'd always say love you before bed, and that everything would be okay."

Francesca triumphed over her illness and completed her A Levels two years ago. Now, Eden is relishing her time on the show and hopes her character can escape the sinister grasp of Tom.

Next year marks a significant milestone for her as she celebrates 20 years with the cast, and during a May appearance on Lorraine with Christine Lampard, she expressed her eagerness to reach this anniversary.

She exclaimed: "I can't believe this, I was 7 or 8 when I joined, it will be 20 years next year. The Dingles started this tradition where when you get to a big anniversary you get an engraved bracelet from the Dingles, so I really want that bracelet - there's only a few Jim, Jeff, Jane had one so I feel like I want to be in the gang, I'm nearly there!".

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX