Emmerdale: Belle horrified as Charles claims Tom King has changed. What fans need to remember

Belle Dingle's hard-won peace was shattered recently in Emmerdale, when she learned that her abusive ex-husband Tom King is due to leave prison in the coming weeks. The news came from her Victim Liaison Officer at Wishing Well, and it was soon followed by a second jolt from a far more familiar face.

The officer explained that Tom will be released on strict licence conditions which mean he cannot come near Belle. That offered her little comfort, and she ran out of the house. Kammy wanted to go after her, but Lydia suggested he give her some space. Later, as Belle told Nicola about the release in the café, Charles overheard the conversation.

Charles, who has been seeing Tom in his role as a prison chaplain, then told Belle that Tom appears to be trying to turn his life around, has shown remorse for what he put her through and wants her forgiveness.

Belle was having none of it. To her, the claim sounded like more of the mind games she endured throughout their marriage, and she fears Tom has already found a way into Charles's head.

For viewers who have joined the show more recently, it is worth remembering why Belle reacted as she did. Tom, played by James Chase, subjected his wife to a long campaign of coercive control that ran on screen for more than a year.

He isolated her from the people who loved her, cyber-stalked her, harmed the family dog Piper and inflicted both psychological and physical abuse.

His behaviour eventually led to his conviction and a prison sentence, and Belle has spent the time since rebuilding her life with the support of her family. Our guide to what Tom King did to Belle Dingle in Emmerdale covers the full story.

Seen in that light, Charles's message is more than an awkward conversation in the café. Tom has always relied on persuading other people to see him the way he wants to be seen, so hearing his apology passed on by the village vicar is exactly the kind of thing likely to unsettle her.

Whether Tom's remorse is real is a question the show has not yet answered, and Belle's instinct is plainly to assume the worst.

Her response, however, was not to retreat. She confided in Kammy and told him she plans to visit Tom in prison to find out what he wants, reasoning that facing him is better than waiting for him to make the first move. It is a brave decision and an understandable one, though it also means sitting across from the man who worked so hard to control her.

Producer Laura Shaw set out the direction of the story when Tom's return was first announced. "When Belle gets the news that Tom is up for parole she's forced to confront a trauma she battled hard to overcome," she said, adding that the storyline would explore the lasting impact of his abuse.

James Chase was equally clear about the character he is playing, describing Tom as "a character driven by obsession and a desperate need for control."

With Tom's release drawing closer and Belle determined to look him in the eye first, the coming weeks will test how far she can stay in control of her own story, and how much Charles really understands about the man he has been visiting.

Emmerdale continues on ITV1 and ITVX. Images: ITV.