A SPECIAL episode of Emmerdale will offer audiences a unique insight into the realities of domestic abuse.
Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry), Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock), Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) and Tom King (James Chase) will take centre stage in the upcoming episode.
Airing on May 7, viewers will see two different viewpoints of the same dinner party as the intricate dynamics and conflicts between both couples are revealed.
In the first part, the cracks in Rhona and Marlon’s fragile marriage come to the surface as they lay bare their issues publicly after a row.
Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon, said: “Given the circumstance there should be no alcohol involved but Rhona and Marlon try to escape themselves by drinking their way through this dinner party.
“The more alcohol they have the more free they get with what they’re saying with each other and the less subtle their mutual resentment becomes until the point where it just explodes.”
Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona, said: “It is essentially an episode of two halves…the first one is the surface stuff, what you can plainly see going on, particularly dominated by Marlon & Rhona’s now dysfunctional relationship and how real and ugly and that currently is.
“The second half is a repeat of the same action, but this time it’s the under the surface stuff. The hidden agendas, the secrets, the unspoken.”
As for Belle and Tom, there are rumblings between the pair but they outwardly seem to be a happy couple to the other guests.
The second part of the episode explores the start of the dinner party as the audience see the day from Tom and Belle’s point of view.
There is also an insight into the terrifying aspect of Belle’s life with Tom behind closed doors.
Award-winning director Duncan Foster helms the special episode.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Discussing the episode, Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: “The dinner party episode puts a sharp lens on the relationships of the gathered people and gives the audience a unique view into their lives.
“Stepping away from the usual Emmerdale format, it offers our viewers the chance to see how some relationships like Rhona and Marlon’s can very publicly unravel and fall apart, whereas other relationships, like Tom and Belle’s, can present in public as perfect and behind closed doors tell a very different, much darker story.”
Viewers have been left disgusted by Tom’s abusive behaviour towards his new wife Belle.
His despicable actions have included creating fear and panic in Belle that their dog had gone missing.
He also ruined a potentially lucrative job opportunity for his wife.
Tom, the son of past Emmerdale villain Carl King, made his return to the show in 2023.
He reunited with Belle, a past girlfriend, with the two hitting it off and later marrying.
Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays Belle, said viewers will “get a glimpse into Belle’s terrifying reality”.
She added: “[Tom’s] so good at turning it on her and I think when that’s being drilled into her constantly, every day for everything, it’s easy for her to believe that she’s the one at fault.”
Meanwhile James Chase, who plays Tom, said: “Tom is a master of performance, able to hide his true feelings and convey something very different to get people on his side.
“Also, Rhona and Marlon’s rising tension only helps to disguise Tom and Belle’s true situation.”