Emmerdale's Tom King gaslights wife Belle as she revisits past trauma
His words caused her unnecessary heartache.
Warning: this article contains discussion of domestic abuse, specifically coercive control, that some readers might find upsetting.
Tom King (James Chase) left new wife Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) distressed in tonight's Emmerdale (29th February 2024), when he resorted to gaslighting after pushing her to relive her traumatic past.
With Tom's cousin Angelica King (Rebecca Bakes) soon to be spending time in a secure children's home after confessing to driving the car that killed Heath Hope (Sebastian Dowling), her parents Jimmy (Nick Miles) and Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) grew concerned that the teen was far too relaxed about what was to come.
So, Tom promised Jimmy that Belle would have a chat with Angel, given that she had spent time in the same kind of place as a teen herself after accidentally killing her best friend Gemma.
Belle was uneasy at the prospect of dredging up her past, and told Tom she wished he had asked her first; but when Tom's way of backtracking was to put on a guilt trip for her benefit, Belle agreed to help after all.
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Jimmy urged Belle not to go easy on Angel, who thought the secure children's home would be like going to camp!
The first hurdle was convincing Angel that she definitely would not be allowed to keep her phone in the home, and Angel finally took notice when Belle revealed that she didn't exactly make friends during her own time away.
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But when Angel asked Belle about her mental health struggles, Belle answered her questions and was visibly upset when Jimmy returned to the room. Angel rushed for comfort from her dad, begging her not to let her go to the home, and Jimmy snapped at poor Belle, who ran out the door full of apologies.
Jimmy later visited Tom and Belle, admitting to Tom that he had been too harsh on Belle. Tom ushered Jimmy away, claiming he would look after Belle; but when she said that Tom made her feel she had to speak to Angel, Tom feigned hurt until Belle felt forced to apologise to him!
As Tom then promised to protect Belle in future, it's clear to viewers that his controlling behaviour is only going to get worse. Emmerdale has already confirmed the extent of Tom's abuse on Belle, with the character set to use technology to control her as well as turning violent once more.
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 via nationaldahelpline.org.uk. You can also visit the the tech safety website refugetechsafety.org to learn more about technology-facilitated abuse.
Read more:
- 7 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Nate and Ruby plot revenge on Caleb Milligan
- Will Emmerdale's Mack die as traumatised Charity is locked up for shock stabbing?
- Who is Beth Cordingly? Meet the Emmerdale star behind newcomer Ruby Fox-Milligan
- Emmerdale confirms harrowing domestic abuse storyline for Belle and Tom
Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Soaps hub.
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