Emmerdale star confirms ‘maddest’ week of filming as Tom King’s story explodes

| Soaps Reporter Published November 12, 2026 12:55pm Updated November 12, 2026 12:55pm Tom King will soon be released from prison (Picture: ITV) Emmerdale star James Chase is currently in the middle of the ‘maddest’ week of filming amid his return to the show. The ITV soap confirmed earlier this year that James would be reprising his role as Tom King, the man who physically and emotionally abused Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper). Tom was sentenced in 2024 to three years behind bars, but Belle was told by a liaison officer a few weeks ago that her former partner was going to be released from prison early. Belle tried to put the news to the back of her mind and carry on with her life, but Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) then decided to get involved. After Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah) found a wreath of dead flowers on the doorstep, Cain jumped to the conclusion that Tom had sent it. Unaware that one of Belle’s clients was actually responsible, Cain headed to the prison to deliver Tom a warning. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Cain told Tom to back off, and then organised for Samson Dingle (Sam Hall) to beat Tom up in the hope that he’d really get the message. When Belle found out what Cain had done, she was furious. She pointed out that he had just made things ten times worse, and believed that the only way to deal with the problem was to visit Tom herself. In the ward room, Belle was shocked when Tom revealed that he intends to move to Northern Ireland once he’s been released, because he also wants to focus on the future. When she got home, Belle updated Cain and believed that her nightmare would soon be over. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Just as the episode ended, it became clear that the drama for Belle was only just beginning, as we saw Tom in hospital looking deeply troubled. While we don’t know what Tom is planning just yet, star James Chase recently shared a picture on his Instagram Stories to tease the chaos set to unfold over the next few months. James has been very busy! (Picture: James Chase) Tom King was sentenced in 2024 (Picture: ITV) Sharing a selfie picture in a lift, James said: ‘This is definitely the maddest week of filming I’ve ever done. Can’t wait to see it!!’. If Tom is plotting some sort of revenge, just who could he target? Following scenes earlier this week that saw Tom meet Kammy for the first time, fans are fearing that he could put Belle’s new boyfriend in danger. Maybe Tom will attempt to destroy Belle’s life for putting him in prison, or perhaps he will focus on another one of her family members? ‘To have the abuser released and getting to showcase that and all the different feelings and emotions, I was very excited to get going with the story,’ star Eden Taylor-Draper previously told Metro. ‘I can only imagine that, after the relief of him being sent down, this is probably the worst thing imaginable. She knew it was going to happen at some point, but obviously he’d been on good behaviour, so it’s happening a lot quicker than expected. ‘I think it’s good that we’re revisiting it. People do get let out on good behaviour, that’s one thing, but also Belle, as much as she believes she’s healed, it reopens all those wounds and we explore how she feels about that and how it affects her relationship with Kammy, and her talking to the victim liaison officer. Deals of the Day 14,500 five-star reviews later, this cult sleep spray is discounted for Black Friday Cold mornings are coming and this is the dressing gown I want to live in We're adding this discounted NEOM gift set straight to basket Want an LED face mask for less? This Black Friday deal could save you hundreds This teeth whitening sale could save you up to 64% before Black Friday ‘We didn’t speed up the storyline back then. It did play across about 18 months, and so the fact we’re coming back to visit it in real time, like it would be happening, is really good as well.’ Arrow MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as Sadie’s vulgar scheme pays off Arrow MORE: Belle’s shock plan to deal with Tom King as Emmerdale spoilers reveal what happens next Arrow MORE: Tom’s vulgar power play as Belle’s nightmare unfolds in Emmerdale The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.