{"id":53769,"date":"2024-06-25T01:01:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T23:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2061673"},"modified":"2024-06-25T02:55:52","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T00:55:52","slug":"emmerdale-star-reveals-why-charity-dingle-clocks-toms-abuse-of-belle","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/emmerdale-star-reveals-why-charity-dingle-clocks-toms-abuse-of-belle\/","title":{"rendered":"Emmerdale star reveals why Charity Dingle clocks Tom\u2019s abuse of Belle"},"content":{"rendered":"

“If anyone was going to recognise those signs of abuse, it probably would be Charity.” <\/p>

By Laura Denby\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 25 June 2024 at 23:01 PM<\/p>

\n\n

This article includes discussion of domestic abuse, including coercive control, that some readers may find distressing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Emma Atkins has spoken out about her Emmerdale<\/a> alter ego Charity Dingle\u2019s suspicions over Tom King (James Chase), citing the character\u2019s history as a survivor of abuse.<\/p>\n

Tom has been inflicting physical, emotional and psychological abuse<\/a> on his new wife Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) for several months, and her close relative Charity is set to be the first person to spot the sinister signs.<\/p>\n

Speaking to RadioTimes.com<\/a> and other press, Atkins pointed out that of all the Dingles, it\u2019s right that Charity is the one to recognise Tom\u2019s controlling behaviour, given Charity\u2019s own experiences after being sexually abused and controlled by police officer Mark Bails (Rocky Marshall)<\/a> when she was a teenager.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs me, I felt that if anyone was going to recognise those signs of abuse, it probably would be Charity, because she\u2019s lived and breathed it in her past,\u201d Atkins shared.<\/p>\n

Expanding on what first makes Charity clock Tom\u2019s behaviour, she added: \u201cI start to notice behavioural changes in Belle; she seems a lot more closed off, she doesn\u2019t want to really socialise with any of her friends or family, and she\u2019s at home a lot with Tom and whenever she\u2019s out in the street she\u2019s always with Tom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Charity,\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Charity worries for Belle.<\/span><\/figcaption> ITV<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cCharity\u2019s like \u2018you\u2019re never on you\u2019re own, Belle. I just feel like it would be nice to maybe have dinner with you, just the two of us.\u2019 I think she starts to let her know that she\u2019s picking up this vibe that something potentially might be wrong. But she knows at first she\u2019s got to play this very subtle, gentle game. She teases little things out of Belle, but not enough to really know,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this point, her suspicions of Tom\u2019s behaviour [are] ramping up, so there\u2019s even more reason: he keeps changing his mind; Belle\u2019s running around after him but she\u2019s like a frightened housewife, and her behaviour is just very staccato and he\u2019s saying jump, and she\u2019s saying how high, kind of mentality.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody seems to be seeing it except Charity, so she says to the girls, \u2018help me \u2013 technically, for want of a better word \u2013 kidnap Belle from the house, and pretend that we\u2019re doing it for a girly night to cheer Lydia up.’\u201d<\/p>\n

But their girly night soon goes horribly wrong, as Atkins revealed. \u201cYou can tell [Belle] wants to open up and I think at that point that\u2019s where the audience will be saying \u2018come on, you\u2019ve got all your Dingle girlfriends around you\u2019. This is where she should be in her safe space.<\/p>

\u201cAnd then, mid-girly night, the phone goes, Tom\u2019s ringing her mobile. She goes out to take the call, and Charity follows Belle out and goes \u2018he\u2019s round the corner, why is he calling you? You\u2019re on a girly night, he shouldn\u2019t be disturbing you.\u2019 So again, more behaviour, she\u2019s only gone out for a few hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cCharity\u2019s overzealous with her: \u2018Belle, just tell me if he\u2019s not right for you!\u2019 She goes inward and all the girls say, \u2018see what you\u2019ve done, maybe you\u2019re the one with the issue.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the audience will be really frustrated by that. In a good way, because it shows you just how this sort of stuff does go on every day in people\u2019s domestic lives, they\u2019re living that hell. It\u2019s strong stuff, I spend a lot of my time screaming at Tom [when watching the show]. It\u2019s difficult to watch sometimes, I must say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Belle\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Tom and Belle in Emmerdale.<\/span><\/figcaption> ITV<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

It also seems that Charity\u2019s own history sadly works against her in the eyes of the other Dingles. \u201cShe starts to rouse suspicion in them, but I think not enough,\u201d said the star. \u201cAnd due to the fact that Charity has been through such series of traumatic events over the past couple of years, I think they\u2019re just a bit wary.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, Charity\u2019s currently in therapy, so they\u2019re wondering if she\u2019s maybe a bit too sensitive and raw to have a fully-fledged view on it, a fully-rounded feeling about it. They\u2019re thinking this could be an overreaction and we could all end up looking really stupid, and we\u2019ve thrown Belle under the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the night going so wrong, Atkins is full of praise for both co-star Taylor-Draper and the episode in question. \u201cIt\u2019s a really good episode. They take her off, straight into the Woolpack backroom, and that begins a fabulous episode where Eden is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Tom, the actress promises that Emmerdale fans will be happy with Charity\u2019s meddling \u2013 if frustrated over her methods!<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s onto him, and I think that\u2019s going to excite the audience in a way, because everybody\u2019s saying \u2018when is he going to get found out?\u2019 So I think they\u2019ll enjoy the fact that someone\u2019s onto him, finally!\u201d<\/p>\n

Emmerdale has been working with Refuge and New Beginnings Peer Support for the Tom and Belle storyline. You can access free and confidential support from Refuge\u2019s 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 and digital support via live chat Monday-Friday 3-10pm via\u202fnationaldahelpline.org.uk<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n