Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) is very much looking forward to 2025 in Emmerdale.

The beloved character has had an utterly hellish and traumatic year. In a relationship with Tom King (James Chase), Belle became trapped in an abusive and controlling marriage.

The tables started to turn for Belle following a trip to Wales. She escaped the cottage and raced home, slowly starting to realise Tom’s behaviour was toxic and unacceptable.

Unfortunately, reporting Tom to the police and having him face the consequences has been a case of easier said than done.

It was only recently that DS Foy finally found enough evidence to prove he had been abusive to Belle, allowing him to arrest and put Tom behind bars.

With this storyline now drawing to a close, the new year will allow Belle to start healing.

‘I think justice would be the main thing she wants, and to fully understand what she has been through and start the journey of healing and understanding and accepting that this is not on her, this is not her fault, this happened to her, she did not create this and there’s nothing wrong with her’, Eden Taylor-Draper told us recently, reflecting on Belle’s hopes for 2025.

‘I think probably just to get life back on track. Obviously Tom stopped her working so she has nothing, really. I think she needs to start from scratch and build herself back up again.’

Eden goes on to explain that she’s looking forward to exploring the next part of Belle’s journey.

‘I don’t think there’ll be an end-point to that journey or that healing. Speaking to the producers and the research team, everyone’s so passionate that this story doesn’t end when this side of the story ends. There’s a whole other world to explore with it.

‘I guess this is the side that you don’t often see, the aftermath and the healing. I’m really proud that it’s something they’re so focused on getting right as well. For Belle to go and speak to women’s refuges or however she deal with it, I think that’ll be great to show. So I don’t think there’ll be an end-point to that. A bit like her psychosis, that’s always going to be a part of her.

‘Instead of it being something she feels is holding her back I think hopefully it’ll be a strength.’

Pondering over the surprise return of Piper the dog, Eden added:

‘100% I think Piper will be a part of that journey. In the cottage, I spoke to the writers about it at the time and they said in certain situations like this often it’s when something else is put in danger, that’s when the victim feels they need to do something. It’s not about themselves necessarily.

‘So when Piper was tied up outside, that’s when Belle was like, “That’s enough now.” Piper is everything to her and I do think in a way she’s saved her from this situation.

‘I guess it’s like her little therapy dog throughout all of it.’