Emmerdale has been hit with a slight change to the schedule and will now air at an earlier time tonight (Friday, December 20).
As Christmas approaches, we can expect to see some further soap schedule changes throughout the week.
Tonight, viewers can still catch their latest fix of Emmerdale but just half an hour earlier than usual.
The soap schedule has been temporarily messed with (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale to air at 7pm tonight
We all know by now that Emmerdale usually airs at 7.30pm and has done for quite some time. However, tonight will see the soap go back to the good ol’ days and air at 7pm.
This change will be temporary though, so don’t get used to it. The episode will air from 7pm-7.30pm, with Coronation Street following at 7.30pm-8.30pm.
This is to make room for an episode of Vera which will run from 8.30pm-10.15pm. Rather lengthy!
For those who don’t want to wait until tonight (and we don’t blame you!), then tonight’s episode is already available on ITVX and has been since 7am this morning. What are you waiting for? Turn it on!
Amelia says farewell (Credit: ITV)
What to expect from tonight’s episode of Emmerdale
After last night’s (Thursday, December 19) guilty verdict for Tom, Belle will most likely be trying to process the events of the last year or so.
Elsewhere, everything that went down with Tom has clearly impacted Amelia as she decides to have a fresh start and leave the village. And, this sees the brief (and very brief) return of former character Daz Spencer as Amelia goes off to live with him.
And, the drama doesn’t stop there! Almost one year on from his death, Heath is remembered by his loved ones as they pay tribute to him. How has it nearly been a year already?!
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter@emmerdaleinside
In Emmerdale spoilers for tonight Amelia leaves the village, and April becomes more and more rebellious.
Elsewhere Bob struggles without Heath and wants to do something he would be proud of.
And a familiar face returns to see Amelia off.
Read below for full Emmerdale spoilers for tonight.
Emmerdale spoilers 1. Amelia leaves the village
It’s Amelia’s last day in the village. The sudden news of her departure is clearly a shock to those who love her like Kerry and Amy.
And so, to make sure she gets the send off she deserves, Amy puts together a last-minute goodbye party. But Kerry doesn’t show up, and Amelia is upset.
Where did Kerry go?
Daz makes a guest appearance in Emmerdale tonight (Credit: ITV)
2. Daz returns
A familiar face returns for Amelia’s exit!
And with Dan, in prison, it’s Daz who makes a surprise appearance in the village tonight.
Daisy Campbell recently confirmed the news when she was talking about her final scenes.
Daz makes a brief stop in the village to collect Amelia, as she makes the decision to put her life in the village to the side, and live with him instead.
Emmerdale spoilers: Marlon despairs at April’s behaviour (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale spoilers 3. Marlon gets a shock
The last few weeks have been tricky for April. Not only was she kidnapped and held off the edge of a building – the same on where her mum died – but she also found out the truth regarding Donna’s death.
When Ross told her everything, he thought it would help her deal with it all better. But it appears to have had the opposite effect on her.
We know that April’s rebellious streak was all sparked by this. But it seems in Emmerdale spoilers for tonight, she just keeps spiralling out of control.
And one person who doesn’t know how to handle it, is Marlon. He isn’t used to April misbehaving, and so the sudden change in her attitude leaves him confused and struggling.
Bob decides to organise a carol concert in Heath’s memory (Credit: ITV)
4. Bob tries to keep Heath’s memory alive
It’s almost been one whole year since Heath died. And it’s been quite an eventful one.
Angelica has already served her time for causing his death, and is now back in the village.
While Bob has been trying to focus on the future, the Christmas period doesn’t help him. So, to honour Heath and his son’s love for music, he decides to organise a carol concert in his memory.
Emmerdale spoilers for Christmas episodes have revealed a shocking twist in Will and Kim’s toxic relationship and an eerie flashforward for Christmas Day.
But as Will changes his mind about his revenge plot (again!) is it too late to stop it? And will Kim survive?
Kim’s loved up but is Will still ready to go through with his plan? (Credit: ITV)
Kim’s gone
With the pair gearing up for their vow renewal, Will’s ready to put his revenge plan into action. But Kim’s still convinced their declaration of love is for real.
So when she vanishes on Christmas Eve, it looks like Will has done something. And whatever he’s done, it definitely doesn’t scream festive!
It’s not very festive at Home Farm (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale spoilers: Operation Destroy Kim is on!
As Christmas approaches, Will’s uncomfortable when Peter arrives at Home Farm. He starts piling the pressure on Will, determined to put their plan to destroy Kim into action.
But with Will looking decidedly less enthusiastic about it all, will he do as Peter’s urging? And let’s not forget we still don’t know who Peter’s working with – will we ever find out?
It seems the answer to that is yes, because things take an alarming twist the next day as Christmas Eve dawns.
Will won’t really destroy Kim, will he? (Credit: ITV)
Kim goes missing in Emmerdale spoilers
Happy Kim heads to the stables and sets off on a horse ride. But soon, in the fields, Kim’s horse is wandering on its own with no rider. Kim’s nowhere to be seen.
Will is driving down a country road when he sees the horse and starts to panic. He them sees a body lying in a nearby field. Rushing over he finds Kim unconscious and immediately calls an ambulance.
Will realises his revenge plot is stupid (ya think?!) and that he does love his wife. But then when he calls Peter, the financial advisor definitely has other ideas…
And is everything really as it appears? After all, soap bad girl Kim‘s no stranger to a revenge plot herself!
It’s not a Merry Christmas for Kim and Will (Credit: ITV)
Bleak future?
This new year, Emmerdale will be treating us to five flashforwards hinting at big drama to come in 2025.
And at Home Farm we get a glimpse of what’s about to unfold.
Eerie Christmas music plays as the Christmas tree lies on the floor with signs of a struggle surrounding the fallen decorations.
So what’s happened? Where’s Kim? And is Will really responsible or is there more to it?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
Emmerdale spoilers for Christmas week reveal joy for Belle Dingle, but terror for Kim Tate, who is found unconscious on Christmas Eve. And what will happen at Home Farm come Christmas Day?
Meanwhile, April is spiralling out of control and goes missing, but can Marlon find her?
Joy for Belle this Christmas in Emmerdale spoilers
Vinny and Belle open Piper’s casket and find she’s not in there (Credit: ITV)
1. Belle discovers the truth about Piper
As she visits Piper’s grave, Belle confides in Vinny that it might sound crazy, but she never actually saw Piper’s body. She is wondering if Tom was lying about the dog’s death. Vinny agrees to dig up the casket to see for themselves and they are shocked to discover there is no dog inside.
It’s a Christmas miracle – Belle and Piper are back together! (Credit: ITV)
2. Belle reunited with Piper!
As Belle’s mind whirrs, she even considers visiting Tom to find out what he really did with Piper. But on Christmas Day, as she sits at her dad’s graveside, Belle is overwhelmed with happiness when Piper runs over to her. Vinny and Gabby have found her and given Belle the best Christmas present ever.
Terror at Home Farm in Emmerdale spoilers this Christmas
Will is anxious as he attempts to go through with his plan (Credit: ITV)
3. Will under threat
Peter arrives at Home Farm and piles the pressure on Will. He wants to make sure everything goes the right way for their Christmas Day plans. Will is feeling the pressure.
Kim wants the perfect Christmas with Will – but where is she? (Credit: ITV)
4. Kim goes missing
On Christmas Eve, Kim is full of joy as she sets out for her Christmas Eve ride. However, soon her horse is seen wandering the fields alone with no rider. What has happened to Kim? Is this part of Will’s plan or is something else afoot?
5. Will changes his mind
As Will drives down a country road he is panicked when he sees Kim’s horse wandering alone. He then spots a body lifeless in a field and rushes over.
Will finds his wife unconscious and all thoughts of revenge and plotting melt away. Realising how much he loves her, he calls 999 and then tries to stop tomorrow’s plan, but Peter is not interested – can Will do anything to save Kim and himself?
Has disaster struck at Home Farm? (Credit: ITV)
6. Christmas Day flashforward at Home Farm
Eerie Christmas music plays and the Christmas tree is lying on the ground. There has clearly been a struggle – but between who? What has led to this? And where is everyone?
Marlon’s hell as April goes missing in Emmerdale spoilers
Marlon makes an upsetting discovery about April (Credit: ITV)
7. Marlon makes a shock discovery
At his wits end over April’s behaviour, Marlon scrolls through her texts after confiscating her phone. He realises she’s been trying to buy cannabis. Confronting his daughter she just storms out.
Ross steps up (Credit: ITV)
8. Ross gets the blame
Later, Marlon sees Ross leaving Tall Trees and realises he’s living there without Marlon’s permission. Furious, Marlon pins Ross against a wall, firmly blaming him for April’s behaviour. He asks Ross to break off his friendship with April.
Ross is later cruel to April leaving her distraught, but she soon realises Marlon is behind it all and he feels even worse.
April is out of control (Credit: ITV)
9. Marlon snaps in Emmerdale spoilers
April steals a bottle of wine from the pub, but Cathy refuses to drink it with her, leaving April feeling even more rejected. Getting drunk, April makes a fool of herself in front of Bob, Brenda and Wendy.
Furious Marlon doesn’t know what to do and when she accidentally spills wine over Donna’s memory card, he snaps.
Marlon doesn’t know what to do when he can’t find April (Credit: ITV)
10. April goes missing
An emotional Christmas morning sees Marlon open a sentimental present from his daughter. He is touched, but decides to let her sleep in all morning. However when he does go to wake her, he finds she’s gone. As he frantically searches for April, he struggles with his little girl going missing. Will she be found okay?
Ruby in Christmas hell in Emmerdale spoilers
Ruby is uncomfortable with Steph’s request (Credit: ITV)
11. Anthony’s presence continues to haunt Ruby
Steph insists her grandad spends Christmas Day with them leaving Ruby feeling uncomfortable following her abuse secret. Forced to agree, Ruby also invites Chas and her family so the place is full. Caleb then asks Moira and Cain to come. Ruby knows Christmas Day will be difficult.
12. Anthony makes an announcement
Increasingly uncomfortable, Ruby spirals when Anthony announces he is staying in the village indefinitely.
13. Ruby threatens her dad
The party moves over to the pub, but Anthony stays behind to ‘help’ Ruby clear up. She is overwhelmed and grabbing a carving knife warns him to stay away from her.
Also in Emmerdale spoilers this Christmas…
Bob is furious at Brenda and Wendy’s constant arguing (Credit: ITV)
14. Heath’s memorial concert causes trouble
Bob has tried to do something nice for his son’s memory, but he is furious at Wendy and Brenda and their constant bickering over it. Can he bring them together?
Sparks fly for Sarah and Jacob (Credit: ITV)
15. Love is in the air?
Sparks are flying this festive season for Jacob and Sarah – are they set for a new romance?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter@emmerdaleinside
Tom King has been found guilty of assaulting and coercively controlling wife Belle Dingle in Emmerdale. He is off to prison for three years.
James Chase, who plays Tom, has left the soap – but he hasn’t ruled out a future return.
Tom was found guilty in court with the Dingles watching on (Credit: ITV)
Tom King goes to prison in Emmerdale
After tense trial scenes on Thursday night (December 19) Tom was found guilty by the jury and given a sentence of three years in prison. Belle sobbed as he was lead away from court and they shared a final look.
He said: “It would have been understandable if the story had ended up with Cain taking matters into his own hands, but this way offers more closure.
“I’m glad we didn’t go down [the Cain killer] route as in some way, I think it would have been stooping to a level similar to Tom if they had done that. So I think it’s better that it went down the law abiding route with it. It keeps Belle clear and she keeps her innocence, and she doesn’t become pessimistic like he is.”
Tom was taken away (Credit: ITV)
Not the end of Tom in Emmerdale?
However James also revealed that because Tom’s sentence is quite a short one, but sadly realistic, he would be open to revisiting the character or the story further down the line.
“I think, with good behaviour, he’s only going to get something like 16 to 18 months, which is crazy,” James said.
“But I think it would depend where they would want to go with the character, because there are many different avenues you could go with it. They could make it that Tom potentially had got even worse, and hasn’t changed at all. Perhaps, he could hate Belle even more for it.
“Or if he did go the other way and finally did realise the terrible things he’s done, and perhaps did, actually start to try to become a better man.”
Will Belle suffer more at Tom’s hands (Credit: ITV)
A changed man?
But can a leopard really change its spots? James reckons prison might be the only way for him to admit who he really is.
“I think he’ll struggle being in prison, definitely,” the actor said. “But I think through that struggle, it will humble him, and he’ll hit rock bottom.”
“I think it could be the best thing for him, because of how tough it’s going to be for him inside. It may make him come out, having realised what he’s done and not take things for granted.”
So could a reformed Tom make a return? Or a vengeful one wanting to have the final say?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter@emmerdaleinside
In today’s Classic Emmerdale spoilers for episodes airing on ITV3 on Friday, December 20, Debbie’s disgusted with her dad but things take a turn when Sadie overhears a private conversation. Shadrach’s plotting revenge, and Dawn’s making plans for a future without her mum and Terry – what’s she up to?
These episodes originally aired on June 17 and 19, 2006.
Sadie is listening as Jasmine and Cain talk about their affair (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Debbie’s disgusted in Classic Emmerdale
Cain tells a disgusted Debbie that he used Jasmine to get at her. And if that’s not bad enough, their conversation is overheard by a delighted Sadie, who later confronts Jasmine about it all. Meanwhile, Debbie tells Cain he’s lost her and Sarah forever, and vows to take revenge.
Katie’s fed up
Elsewhere, Katie demands Jo stop with the blackmail but Jo’s not giving in that easily. Andy’s still oblivious and Katie’s worried she could lose him forever.
Simon’s delighted
Simon accepts an offer on Mulberry Cottage. He’s pleased but Laurel, Ashley and Sandy are worried about being made homeless.
Dawn’s up to something in Classic Emmerdale
Meanwhile, Dawn’s back from her holiday with some news for her mum. She tells Jean that while she’ll never be happy about her and Terry, she’s going to accept it. But later she tells Jamie that her plans for the future mean she won’t be forced to tolerate this situation much longer.
What’s she planning?
Debbie’s making threats
Debbie storms out of the Dingles, telling Cain that she won’t forget his betrayal. And she reminds him the rest of the village won’t be impressed to hear about his sleazy seduction of Jasmine. Later, Chas offers to put Debbie up at Home Farm.
The Chugspokes want Belle’s pig, but Shadrach wants revenge! (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)
Shadrach wants revenge
Later, Shadrach, Beryl and Barney have a lucky escape when they flee from a truffle hunt. But when Shadrach overhears the Chugspokes making fun of him, he plots revenge on behalf of the Dingle family.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page @emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter @emmerdaleinside
With Christmas fast approaching, Claire King has now teased that it won’t be a happy festive season for everyone in Emmerdale.
We know all too well that Will is currently having doubts about his revenge plan, but Peter’s adamant that things must go ahead.
And, a flashforward suggests that not everyone has a very, merry Christmas. Claire King has now teased danger for Kim this Christmas – and we’re super worried.
Claire has hinted at Kim’s fate (Credit: ITV)
Emmerdale actress Claire King teases Kim Tate Christmas showdown fate
Christmas at Home Farm this year is set to be quite something as it also marks the day of Will and Kim’s vow renewal. And, Will and Peter are plotting something big.
Despite Will feeling guilty and wanting to backtrack, Peter told him that their mystery partner in crime wouldn’t drop their plans now.
In upcoming scenes, Kim decides to go out for a ride on her horse but goes missing as the horse returns without her.
Also… a flashforward shows the Home Farm Christmas tree on the floor. There are signs of a struggle, with eerie music playing. But, what happens to Kim?
Well, it looks like Kim’s in some serious danger which may even see her ‘otherwise preoccupied’ when the New Year hits.
Claire King told Emmerdale Insider and other media: “All I know is that I don’t think we go to the Woolpack New Year’s Eve do. I manage to get out of those.
“I was too busy on another set. I won’t say which one because it might give something away.”
So, it looks like Kim’s not in a great state is she can’t join in with the New Year celebrations. But, where could she be?
What goes on at Christmas? (Credit: ITV)
What happens to Kim on Christmas Day?
Before an obvious struggle happens, Will feels bad when he sees how excited Kim is about their vow renewal. And, so he should!
But, with a tree on the floor and no sign of Kim, something big happens. But, who exactly is behind it? Could it be the mystery person Peter and Will are working with? And, what have they done with Kim? So. Many. Questions.
Emmerdale tonight once again aired a format-breaking episode as Tom King finally came to an end. And yes, justice was served: he has been sentenced to three years in prison.
The episode went back and forth between evidence being given in court and the jury deliberating their verdict. And once we had reached the conclusion, Tom was taken away and we heard the stories of real women who had been through what Belle had.
Here’s how Emmerdale played out on Thursday December 19.
Belle recounted her abuse in court (Credit: ITV)
Things didn’t look good for Belle in Emmerdale tonight
At the start of the episode, the jury arrived in their room and they were equally split – six for guilty, six for not guilty. So we flashed back to Tom and Belle giving evidence in court.
They each recounted their stories and obviously told a very different tale. It was very clear in as the jury deliberated Tom had taken some of them in. Denise Welch’s character, Heidi, was not taken in though. She knew Tom was guilty. She just had to convince Karl, the Foreman of the Jury, of the fact.
Back in court, Belle’s past with Gemma was brought up and her mental health called into question. It made some members of the jury think Belle was not a reliable witness – exactly as Tom had planned.
The instances of abuse were recounted as the Dingles sat in the gallery fuming at what they were hearing. But the time Belle assaulted Tom was the only one that had been witnessed.
Credit to Tom, he was putting a sterling performance in court. If we hadn’t been watching all of these months, we might have believed him ourselves. Things were not going well for Belle.
Belle’s case worker Rachel gave testimony too, explaining her own suspicions about Tom’s abuse. However as she had no actual evidence back in the deliberation room, the jury were leaning towards Tom’s side of the tale.
Amelia took to the stand and had to admit Tom wasn’t ever violent to her.
In the jury’s discussion, Heidi continued to fight for Belle, against Karl, who was sure Tom was innocent.
Heidi (Denise Welch) was adamant Tom was guilty (Credit: ITV)
The tide turned against Tom
But soon enough, the tables began to turn against Tom as the tablet and his treatment of Carl Jnr was brought up. Then the prosecution went into detail about Tom’s filming and tracking of Belle and the small cameras he put everywhere, including in the bathroom. Plus the fact he hid it all from the police (by the way, where wasDS Foy? A travesty he didn’t appear). Tom squirmed as he clearly didn’t have answers for the evidence in front of him.
And back with the jury, the cameras were a sticking point because even staunch Tom supporter Karl didn’t have an answer this time.
Juror Kenneth had stayed silent pretty much throughout, but then he piped up with a story about an abuser he knew, who had hid it well and was a respected medical professional. Kenneth said he saw the same look in Belle’s eyes as he had seen in the wife of the man he knew and he was firmly on Belle’s side.
This certainly got the jury thinking…
Abuser Tom couldn’t believe the jury had believed Belle in Emmerdale (Credit: ITV)
Tom was found guilty in Emmerdale tonight
As the Dingles waited outside the court for news, they were in a state of worry. But then they were called back into the court and Belle knew this was judgement day.
Karl the foreman stood up and announced they had found him guilty – on both counts. The Dingles cheered and shivers were sent down our spines.
Tom was then sentenced for his crimes with the judge telling him he has shown no remorse and doesn’t want to change. He has been sent to prison for three years.
As he shared a last, dark look with Belle, she sobbed tears of heartache, pain and relief. And it’s clear her ordeal is far from over – but it’s a start.
Belle attended a support group and we heard the stories of real women (Credit: ITV)
Real stories in Emmerdale tonight
We then flashed back to where Belle had got to the day before. She had been to a support group for women who had suffered like her.
We heard their stories, which were those of real women. It had helped Belle realise none of what she had been through was her fault. It was the most moving part of the episode as we can only scratch the surface of what these people had suffered.
Belle then tearfully told Charity she knew Tom was in the wrong and the blame was all with him. But can she move forward with her life now?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter@emmerdaleinside
Tom King has been found guilty of abusing wife Belle Dingle in Emmerdale and sent to prison for three years. It’s the end of what has been a very real, but very long storyline.
And while it looks like Tom has gone for good, no one would blame fans for wondering if that was the case. After all, we’ve been teased plenty of times before that Tom would be no more. He’s survived multiple near-fatal incidents including being electrocuted and stabbed in the back with an axe by Belle. Plus fans thought Tom had gone for good when he was caught trying to escape and sent to prison.
However, this time, it looks like there’s no getting away from it: Tom is going to jail. So is this the last we will see of Tom King? Has he left Emmerdale for good at last?
Tom took the stand in court in Emmerdale and was found guilty despite his best acting (Credit: ITV)
What happened in Emmerdale tonight
In another format-breaking episode, that Emmerdale has become well-known for, tonight’s scenes flipped between the evidence being given in court and the jury deliberating their verdict.
Although the jury consisted of 12 people there were three particularly vocal ones: foreman Karl, played by Charles Dale, Heidi, played by Denise Welch and Kenneth, played by Jack Ellis.
Karl was very much Team Tom in the beginning, using all of Belle’s past deeds against her to paint her as unstable. In fairness, Tom did give a very convincing performance in court.
Heidi, however, knew the signs and knew Tom was guilty as sin. Kenneth stayed quiet as the two locked horns, but eventually piped up and revealed a personal experience with an abuser that made him doubt Tom and realise Belle was being truthful. He said he could see the look of sheer terror in her eyes.
After it looked like things were going Tom’s way, the vote suddenly swung in Belle’s favour and the jury reached the unanimous verdict Tom was guilty. Hallelujah!
The jury were divided at first, but eventually went the right way (Credit: ITV)
Has Tom left Emmerdale for good?
It’s music to our ears: Yes, this is the last we will see of Tom King. Emmerdale Insider reached out to the soap who confirmed the news.
At last the village is free of the evil that is Tom. His last trick has failed. He was found guilty and will serve his time.
Whether in three years he gets out and comes back to terrorise Belle is another thing, but for now, she can sleep easy knowing he is behind bars. And we don’t have to see his smug face again!
Even better than that, Belle will be smiling again by Christmas when she is reunited with her beloved Piper. She realises Tom lied about the dog being dead and lovely Vinny, with Gabby’s help, tracks Piper down and returns her to Belle on Christmas Day.
All the tissues please, this is at last the justice she deserves.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
Visit our Facebook page@emmerdaleinsider for all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers and let us know what you think! Or find us on Twitter@emmerdaleinside
Belle Dingle took on her abuser Tom King in court this week’s Emmerdale and saw him sent to prison. It was a chilling episode that really highlighted the truth about domestic abuse, and people’s attitudes towards it.
Tom’s trial was the end of a year-long storyline that has been carefully and thoughtfully plotted with a lot of shocking moments, as well as tearjerking parts.
But did the finale really do justice to the rest of the plot? We’re not completely sure.
Tom was on trial for assault and coercive control (Credit: ITV)
Was the ending of Tom King too rushed in Emmerdale?
The majority of the trial was in Thursday’s double episode. On paper, it looked that it would be plenty of time. But actually it felt rushed. The discussions with the jury were really interesting and we definitely felt engaged with the new characters we met. But we wanted to hear more.
Denise Welch’s character, Heidi, clearly had a backstory that we were desperate to hear more about. The debates threw new light on Belle’s ordeal. But suddenly, everything was resolved and Tom was found guilty – it felt like we’d only seen half of it.
We reckon Tom’s trial could even have stood up to running across a whole week’s worth of episodes. There is a fine line between giving a story the time it deserves and dragging it out, but this all felt wrapped up too quickly – Tom was only arrested a couple of weeks ago!
We really enjoyed the discussion between the jurors and we wanted more (Credit: ITV)
Some of story missed out?
In a similar vein, it was fascinating to hear Tom and Belle’s take on various incidents, then have the jury discuss how they saw it. But it felt like lots of incidents were glossed over, or not even mentioned at all.
Which then gave the impression that Belle’s ordeal wasn’t that bad, that it was being vaguely downplayed – even though we’d watched it all and seen how she’d suffered.
Belle’s ordeal is coming to an end (Credit: ITV)
Belle wasn’t on trial
We understand how trials work – we know Tom’s creepy barrister Ollie had to plant reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury and convince them that perhaps Tom wasn’t guilty of everything he was accused of. And we also understand that one of the ways he was going to do that was by discrediting Belle.
BUT Belle wasn’t on trial. All the stuff about her history with Gemma seemed totally irrelevant. You know what would have been relevant, though? Tom stalking Chas and making her think she was losing her mind, back in 2013.
Belle was late to court because she went to a support group where she heard other women’s experiences (Credit: ITV)
The real-life stories
Soaps play such an important role in raising awareness when they tackle issue-based stories like this. This storyline has been managed so well and really highlighted the horror of coercive control. And we loved the idea of including real-life stories in the trial. But aside from the one story told by juror Kenneth, the stories were just stuck on at the end. It made them feel like an afterthought.
DS Foy was the hero of the hour when he arrested Tom. Shouldn’t he have been a witness?(Credit: ITV/Comp Emmerdale Insider)
Missing witnesses at the trial of Tom King in Emmerdale
Belle has come into contact with quite a few people throughout her ordeal who could have been witnesses for the prosecution. Rhona and Vanessa both had the measure of Tom, so did Charity and Cain, who trailed her all the way to Wales. Even the bus driver who saw Belle run away while an angry Tom pursued her would have been a helpful witness.
And of course, there’s DS Foy. Where was he?! He’s been so dogged in his determination to see Tom in court, only for him to vanish at the last minute? Very disappointing.
Now Tom’s been sent to prison and we’re looking forward to Belle rebuilding her life. It was definitely the right ending to an excellent story, but we’d have liked to see it play out slightly differently.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an early release at 7am on ITVX.Â
Classic Emmerdale usually airs weekdays at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm on ITV3.Â
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