Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale star Emma Atkins has revealed that her character
Charity Dingle is about to become suspicious in Tom and Belle King’s domestic abuse storyline.
Next week’s episodes see Belle left worried as her family members Charity,
Chas, Mandy and Lydia all start to question her about her relationship with Tom during a girls’ night at The Woolpack.
It’s Charity who takes the lead, as she pushes Belle to tell her what’s really going on in her marriage.
Belle struggles with the difficult questions from her loved ones and rushes off,
but Charity persists when she later finds her upset outside the pub.
Related: Emmerdale star teases Tom King’s comeuppance in Belle abuse story
Just when it seems that Belle might reach out for help, she spots Tom heading over and shoves Charity before fleeing home in a panic.
Tom tells Charity that Belle is behaving strangely because she’s struggling with her mental health, but will Charity believe him?
Speaking to Digital Spy and other press about the storyline, Emma explained: “I always felt that if anyone was going to recognise the signs of abuse, it probably would be Charity because she’s lived and breathed it in her past.
“Charity starts to notice behavioural changes in Belle. She seems a lot more closed off, she doesn’t want to really socialise with friends or family, she’s at home a lot with Tom, and whenever she’s out in the street she’s always with Tom.
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“Charity starts to let Belle know that she is picking up this vibe that something potentially might be wrong.”
Emma continued: “Tom is in a wheelchair now from being electrocuted and he’s laying it on thick. Belle’s running around after him but she’s like a frightened housewife. Nobody seems to be seeing it except Charity.
“There’s a really good episode where Belle’s family take her out of Dale Head and straight to The Woolpack back room. During the girly night, Tom rings Belle’s mobile and she goes out to take a call. Charity follows her out and goes, ‘He’s round the corner, why is he calling you? You’re on a girly night, he shouldn’t be disturbing you’.
“So Charity is onto him. I think that’s going to excite the audience, because everybody’s saying, ‘When is he going to get found out?’ They’ll enjoy the fact that someone is onto him, finally.”
While the other Dingle ladies start to fear that Charity is overreacting, she refuses to back down and continues to keep a close eye on Belle.
Related: Emmerdale producer reveals when Tom and Belle story will end
Emma told us: “Charity is beyond frustrated when the others doubt her. When she comes face-to-face with Tom in the street and there’s this stand off, Belle runs off crying and Charity’s instinct is to run after her.
“Tom comes up in the wheelchair and stops her and says ‘Enough, you leave Belle to me’. He just shuts her down right there in the street and she’s just dumbfounded. She’s like ‘holy moly, this is another level of control’.
“I think over time, Charity has just found Tom a bit squeaky clean, a bit annoying, a bit smarmy, and she has just not got the best opinion of him.
“She’s also been judging it on Belle’s behaviour. Belle is becoming more introverted, more inward, more agoraphobic, not wanting to leave the house – it’s just Tom, Belle and the dog.
Related: Emmerdale‘s Cain Dingle to upset Matty Barton with jail advice
“Belle is cutting herself off and she’s turning people down when they have suggestions of dinner. I think it’s more Belle’s behaviour that Charity is concerned about and potentially it could be as a direct result of Tom’s manipulation.”
With Charity’s suspicions rising, Tom tries to land himself a new job in a remote part of Wales and arranges an online interview.
He then lies to Belle about how they’ll be taking a holiday to Wales, keeping quiet about how he intends it to be a permanent move. Will Tom’s new plan take shape as he tries to get Belle away from her family?
Emmerdale airs these scenes in the week commencing Monday, July 1.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
