Eden Taylor-draper
“It’s so shocking and it messes Belle up!”
It was Bryan Adams who once sang, “Everything I do, I do it for you” – but psychopathic teenager Lachlan White has taken that amiable sentiment to gruesome extremes! Over the past few months, Lachlan’s left a string of corpses in his wake. In his twisted mind, it’s all been for the sake of his girlfriend, Belle Dingle, whom he seems to genuinely care for.
But while Emmerdale viewers have been gripped by the unfolding grisly horror of Lachlan’s killing spree, Belle herself has been in blissful ignorance over what her monster of a boyfriend is truly capable of. That’s all about to change this week, however, when Belle realises that something awful has happened to her brother, Sam (see p8). And as Eden Taylor-draper – who plays Belle – tells us, things can never be the same between the couple ever again…
Belle has been away visiting Granny Clegg recently – how is she feeling about her relationship with Lachlan when she returns to the Dales?
Everything’s very positive! She knows that he’s been a bit distracted, but that’s because he’s looking into getting a flat. Belle thinks he’s ready for the next step, so she’s confident in their relationship. She’s ready for the future, and she feels as if Lachlan is on the same page as her.
So at what point does Belle start to get suspicious about Lachlan?
Well, she’s clearing up. She and Lachlan were meant to do something, but he had to go out – it’s all a bit weird. Then she finds his hoody and it’s drenched in blood! She can’t understand why, so she confronts him about it.
That must be a shock for Belle! What does she think he’s up to?
He says, “I cut myself”. And she’s thinking, “There’s
so much blood on here – this can’t be all from you”. From there, it all starts to unravel. He can’t control his lies any more, and it all just begins to come out.
It’s a massive moment for Belle, but it’s just as huge for Lachlan, isn’t it?
Yes, I think this is the most shocking thing we’ve seen – because he’s never actually confronted what he’s done and said it out loud. This is the first time that he comes to terms with it and says, “Yes,
I’ve done all of this.”
Belle becomes very suspicious about what’s happened to Sam. Does she think Lachlan has hurt him or even killed him?
She’s screaming at Lachlan, “Why is there blood everywhere?” – and very calmly, he just says, “Sam was getting in the way”. She can’t comprehend it. He then apologises to her, and she’s like, “Oh my God, my brother’s dead! What have you done?” So that’s very intense!
Does Belle think Lachlan will kill her? Is she worried for her own life?
Her head is just a mess, because she adores him, but then she gets this confirmation. It takes her a while to process it. At the same time, though, he has a gun in his hand and her brother is covered in blood – she has to be careful,
or she could be in danger!
Are you looking forward to this dramatic storyline reaching its climax?
I’m really excited! It was lots of fun to film, and very dramatic.
Have you had viewers trying to warn you about Lachlan?
Yes! Everyone who has recognised me has said, “Please get away from Lachlan!” They’re all very concerned – which is just hilarious!
Surely Belle will feel as if the past year has been a complete lie…
She can’t comprehend that she’s shared her bed with a serial killer. Not only has he hurt random people, but he’s tried to kill her brother. It’s so shocking, and it messes her up. And obviously she does have psychosis, so that comes back into play too.
What’s the best thing about filming with Thomas Atkinson (Lachlan)?
He’s so much fun to work with! He’ll be throwing me against a wall, telling me he’s going to kill me – and then when we’ve finished filming, we’ll be talking about Wotsits! He’s a great guy to film with, and it’s been really fun!
Belle’s mum Lisa is away from the Dales at the moment – do you think she will return when she finds out her daughter has been dating a killer?
Well, we know she’s in Scotland, and she watches the news. I’m not sure.
If it was my mum, even if she’d been in Australia, she’d come back! It’s a mother’s instinct – you have to go back!
Belle can’t comprehend that she’s shared a bed with a killer!