Emmerdale aired a special hour-long episode on Thursday night, which shone a light on Belle Dingle’s ordeal at the hands of her villainous husband Tom King

Eden Taylor-Draper stars as Belle in the much-loved ITV soap, which on Thursday night presented an episode centred on her struggle with domestic abuse by Tom King, played by James Chase.

During the dramatic episode, viewers were shown three alternative future scenarios that Belle might face. This followed Tom’s ominous threat the previous night where he told Belle he would never stop pursuing her.

Triggered by his menacing words, Belle experienced a day resembling a dream wherein glimpses of what her future could hold were mirrored back at her. In a compelling conclusion, Belle courageously opened up to Charity Dingle, portrayed by Emma Atkins, about the abuse, to which Charity responded with comfort and resolve, declaring it an ‘honour’ to be confided in and vowing: “That man is never going to hurt you again..”

Following the airing of the emotional episode, Belle star Eden’s co-star Lisa, who portrays Mandy Dingle, took to Instagram to express her thoughts. Sharing a picture of Belle in character, she wrote: “The power of tonight’s episode – one word INCREDIBLE. To everyone involved – INCREDIBLE. The script from start to finish – INCREDIBLE. The impact of this storyline – INCREDIBLE. And without a shadow of a doubt….. @swedentd performance each and every scene she acts – INCREDIBLE @emmerdale #emmerdale #belle #control #incredible #proud”, accompanied by clapping emojis, reports the Mirror.

The episode ended with Belle bravely confiding in Charity Dingle (Image: ITV)

Emmerdale fans were quick to echo Lisa’s sentiments, while some viewers issued a desperate plea. As the episode featured potential and future realities, viewers expressed their hope that the final powerful scene with Charity was real and not a dream.

One viewer commented: “OMG got totally lost in that episode. I’m praying the last bit with charity was the reality bit”, followed by a crying emoji. Another asked: “But telling Charity was real right? Right? #Emmerdale.”

A different fan queried: “Did Belle tell Charity now or in the future? #Emmerdale,” while another added: “I’m still confused is her telling charity actually what happened or is she thinking that in her head as one of the scenarios of how to move on and tell someone? #Emmerdale.”

Eden, who plays Belle in the show, spoke about a particularly significant episode, saying: “I’m excited for everyone to see this ‘dream’ episode as I feel it’s a great representation of what’s going on inside Belle’s mind and the constant fear even though she is no longer ‘in’ the abusive relationship. It was a very special episode to film, I understand viewers will find it distressing and uncomfortable but I am so proud we are exploring this to its full potential to give people a real insight to what can go on.”