Belle takes the BLAME

Can fragile Belle handle the fallout from her affair? We ask Emmerdale’s Eden Taylor-Draper

Emmerdale’s Belle Dingle is left distraught this week when her affair with married Jamie Tate is cruelly exposed.

Villagers gathered at the Woolpack for a quiz are stunned to see romantic texts between the pair flash up on a big screen.

It’s all the work of Jamie’s wife Andrea, who’s been plotting her revenge since she discovered her husband’s deceit last month. She plays the innocent and tearfully flees the pub, leaving angry Jamie blaming Belle for outing them.

The whole episode is a disaster for Belle, who realises she may have lost Jamie and her boyfriend Ellis.

‘When the messages flash up everybody is in shock – including Ellis, who feels so betrayed,’ says Eden Taylor-Draper, 22, who’s been playing Belle since she was seven.

‘Andrea starts crying and screaming at Jamie, and Belle is left feeling like she’s a disgusting person.

‘The reaction from everyone in the pub makes her realise what she’s actually done to Ellis, Jamie’s little family, which includes a young child, and her own family, who can’t understand why Belle is going for a married man, let alone a Tate.

‘Jamie assumes Belle has done it because he can’t think who else would, so he shouts at her in front of everyone and Belle is left totally alone, feeling she is to blame.’

Belle and Jamie secretly became an item in January, after Jamie discovered Andrea had cheated on him. But while Andrea’s been trying to build bridges, Jamie and Belle have declared their love for each other.

Eden says, ‘Jamie has talked about divorcing Andrea, and Belle believes he will. They’re in a bubble of sexual tension and bliss. She has no inkling Andrea knows...’

It makes her revenge even more brutal. ‘Everyone gives Jamie and

Belle grief,’ says Eden. ‘Belle can’t believe what’s happening and feels sick to her core. She wants to curl up in a ball and disappear. Everyone knows her business – I can only imagine the shame.

‘Belle wants Jamie to protect her and to be on her side, but he actually does the opposite and says no one else would be this crazy to do such a thing,’ adds Eden.

‘Belle is so hurt. Jamie knows about her past mental health problems and for him to throw them back in her face makes her question the kind of person he is. He has taken Andrea’s word over hers, and Belle is very upset by that.’

There’s more anguish later when Andrea and daughter Millie disappear, but without her purse, cards, money or car. Jamie panics, suggesting he and Belle could be over for good. Eden says, ‘It’ll be hard for them to have a future together. I don’t know how it will pan out.’