Emmerdale announces special episode in shake-up as Belle and Tom’s dramatic final domestic abuse scenes are set to air

EMMERDALE has announced a special episode as Tom and Bell’s domestic abuse storyline comes to an end.

Soap bosses have confirmed his long-running rein of terror will finally come to an end next month.

Over the past year fans have watched Tom torment and abuse Belle before she finally left him.

Belle – who is played by Eden Taylor-Draper – has recently left the village to get help for her mental health following the ordeal.

She finally reported Tom to the police just as the villagers start to suspect Tom isn’t as innocent as he seems.

The storyline will ultimately culminate in a one hour special programme that will hear from real-life voices from survivors of domestic abuse.

Explaining the special episode, Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: “When we first embarked on this journey we knew we wanted to show domestic abuse, coercive control and manipulation in all its guises.

“The privilege we have on a drama such as Emmerdale is being able to show the reality of a situation like Belle’s over a longer period of time to authentically reflect what so many people go through in real life on a daily basis.”

She continued: “We knew from the outset that Belle would need some sort of closure on Tom and we know our Emmerdale audience always look forward to our villains getting their comeuppance.

“We don’t want to spoil the outcome of this story and reveal what will happen to Tom, but needless to say, Belle’s going to be in a much better place by this Christmas.”

Bosses have not yet revealed when the special episode will exactly air next month.

Lindsay Oliver, the CEO of domestic abuse charity New Beginnings said:  “When Emmerdale explained they hoped to include the real life testimonies of domestic abuse victims and survivors within these scenes we knew it would be the truest way for them to authentically close this storyline. 

“We have been on board with this story since 2023 when Emmerdale first approached us about depicting a cohesive and controlling relationship on the series.

“We are pleased Emmerdale have highlighted and are continuing to showcase this issue right to the end. And we hope these final episodes will continue to raise awareness about domestic abuse, controlling relationships and the fact there is help out there.”