Hard as Dales
Soap storylines to tackle marital abuse, a mystery accident and leukaemia
EMMERDALE viewers face a bleak spring with three devastating storylines featuring domestic violence, cancer and a tragic accident which leaves one character fighting for their life.
Later this month, life is turned upside down for Dawn and Billy Fletcher when their young son Evan is diagnosed with leukaemia.
And viewers will soon see Tom King and Belle Dingle’s marriage descend into shocking violence.
Soap bosses said two families will be affected by the accident storyline, but have not identified who they are.
Viewers have already seen Tom, played by James Chase, reduce new wife Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) to tears with his controlling and manipulative behaviour.
Things take a turn for the worse in an episode featuring a dinner party.
Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said the show consulted domestic abuse charity Refuge to ensure the issue was accurately portrayed.
She said: “This storyline has been carefully researched and it’s going to continue in the next months.
“We’ve been given access to real-life stories and spent time with charities like Refuge. What we’ve learned from them is just how quickly coercive control relationships can turn physical, so that’s what we’ll see happen next.”
A special episode would “step away from our usual Emmerdale format and do things a little bit differently”.
She said: “It’s a dinner party mainly focussing on Tom and Belle and Marlon and Rhona, and we’ll see what’s going on in their relationship and how what you see in public is not necessarily what you see behind closed doors.”
In traumatic scenes this month, Dawn (Olivia Bromley) and Billy (Jay Kontzle) are devastated to discover their son has cancer.
Laura said: “We are going to see Dawn and Billy’s world totally rocked when almost out of nowhere Evan is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. We want to show what a strain this can put on a family.
“The roles of Dawn and Billy are changed overnight. We’ll see how it affects their relationship and the wider family and the financial pressure that looking after a child like this long-term can put on a whole family.”
In the third grim plot, two families struggle after a tragic accident.
Laura said: “We’ll see someone in some really serious medical jeopardy – whether they live or die, we’ll have to see. But the ripples and repercussions from that accident will be very long lasting and life changing.”
A new character, Rose, played by Christine Tremarco, will arrive in the village as someone who knows Kim Tate’s husband Will (Dean Andrews).
Laura said: “She certainly promises to cause a real storm.”
We are going to see Dawn and Billy’s world totally rocked by Evan’s leukaemia
LAURA SHAW EMMERDALE PRODUCER