Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor Draper)

[alan45]

she kills gemma over sean

It is an accident .. happy to see Gemma go however not have her killed off, wish Dom and Gemma would leave together

http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...096#post802096

[Ruffed_lemur]

I don't like the sound of this. Another death!

[tammyy2j]

This thread would be better in the spoilers forum

[Perdita]

Emmerdale schoolgirl Belle Dingle faces a horrifying experience next week as she realises that she is responsible for the death of her best friend Gemma Andrews.

Gemma (Tendai Rinomhota) falls unconscious shortly after hitting her head in a violent showdown with Belle. However, with nobody around to witness Gemma's sudden health scare, Belle doesn't realise the consequences of her actions until it's far too late…

Here, Eden Taylor-Draper - who plays Belle - previews the dark new storyline for her character.

How are things between Belle and Gemma in the build-up to this incident?
"Things start to get a bit heated, because they both like Sean Spencer but Belle is the one who Sean likes. There's always been that rivalry between Gemma and Belle, but now it gets pretty bad."

Can you tell us about Belle and Gemma's big row?
"Sean and Belle have a little flirt and Gemma kicks off a little bit. That leads to quite a heated verbal and physical argument between Gemma and Belle, which ends up pretty bad. They're by a river out in the sticks with nobody else around, and the row stems completely from their rivalry over Sean."

How hard is the push when Belle lashes out at Gemma?
"It's hard enough to cause some damage! It's aggressive but it's not a case of Belle intentionally trying to hurt Gemma. Gemma lashes out first and Belle retaliates, but it wasn't deliberate at all."

Belle and Gemma argue
© ITV
Belle and Gemma argue

What happens next?
"Gemma gets straight back up, so Belle doesn't realise that Gemma is hurt. Gemma tells Belle to get lost and get out of her life, so Belle walks off. As far as she's concerned at that point, Gemma is perfectly fine."

How does Belle react when she later hears that Gemma is missing?
"At the beginning Belle doesn't realise what's happened. There's an initial reaction where she thinks 'Is this because of me?', but it doesn't really hit home until they find Gemma unconscious the next day. That's when Belle realises that she is to blame and she feels really guilty."

What do the doctors say is wrong with Gemma?
"They don't really say much. They know that there's a problem with Gemma's brain, but then she moves and everyone thinks she'll be fine. Zak rings Belle and tells her that Gemma has started moving, so she goes over there to the hospital. But once Belle arrives, Gemma is not doing well…"

Dom pleads with a motionless Gemma to wake up.
© ITV
Dom pleads with a motionless Gemma to wake up.

Once Gemma dies, Lisa suspects that something is amiss, doesn't she?
"Yes, Lisa realises that something is wrong when the police come round to talk to Belle. Belle says that it's her fault, so Lisa can see that something is going on. In the end, Belle breaks down and blurts the truth out to Lisa, who doesn't know how to respond."

Does Belle want to go to the police?
"Oh yeah, Belle feels so bad, but Lisa wants to protect her family and doesn't want her daughter to go away. There's also Zak and his past depression to think about, so Lisa is trying to keep everything together while holding this information. It's eating away at Belle and she just wants to go and own up."

How does Belle feel around Gemma's grieving father Dom?
"Belle feels really awkward around Dom. Whenever Dom is in the room, she'll find an excuse to leave. It's very weird and everyone can tell that Belle's behaviour is different - including Sean and Zak. But of course, nobody guesses the truth."

Is Belle worried that she could be caught out?
"Belle is very paranoid that everyone has got their eyes on her. She's very, very upset and the entire experience has traumatised her, especially because it's her fault."

How will Belle face the funeral?
"Belle is meant to be up there giving a speech for her best friend, but she doesn't even want to go to the funeral. Belle is just in this really weird position of not knowing what she wants and not knowing how to handle it. Lisa is also giving her mixed signals, so who knows whether Belle will go to the funeral or not?"

Belle struggles with Gemma's death.
© ITV
Belle struggles with Gemma's death.

Does Belle think that she deserves to go to prison?
"Belle absolutely thinks that! She feels that she is a murderer and has killed her best friend, so she deserves her punishment. All she wants is to go out there and confess that she's done it, as she doesn't want this huge weight on her shoulders."

How do you think Zak would react if he knew the truth?
"I think the Dingles are a very close-knit family. When Cain and Chas get involved, everybody wants what's best for Belle. They think the best thing for Belle is if she doesn't own up and stays at home with the ones she loves. I don't know if Zak would support Belle or not, but I think he'd want her home."

Can Belle live with herself?
"That is the question! I personally couldn't live with myself, but who knows if Belle can? This could absolutely ruin her life and it's already eating away at her, so you'll have to wait and see what happens."

Will Sean be a problem, as he knew Belle and Gemma were arguing?
"Lisa thinks Sean will be a massive problem, but I don't think Belle is really conscious of Sean at the minute - she just thinks he's a bit annoying because she looks at him and sees him as the reason that her best friend is dead. It's not really registering that he could be a problem, but deep down they both know that something has gone on there."

Does Dom have any suspicions?
"Definitely wait and see! At the minute he doesn't, but I think increasingly he could start to have doubts…"

How do you feel about the storyline?
"It's going to be a long-running storyline. It's just starting up now, and it's very busy and exciting. It's probably the biggest story I've had, so I'm really excited and really enjoying it. It's amazing."

[lizann]

has the actress left the show?

[Katy]

has the actress left the show?

I thought that, but maybe she is on exam leave as she is probably around that age.

[Katy]

has the actress left the show?

I thought that, but maybe she is on exam leave as she is probably around that age.

[Perdita]

I think that is the reason ... she is on a break only

[tammyy2j]

I hope she returns, she is a great little actress

[tammyy2j]

Belle Dingle has more tough times ahead as not everyone welcomes her return to the village.

Belle is released from the youth detention centre this week after serving time for the accidental death of her best friend Gemma Andrews. However, Belle can't quite escape from her past when she finds herself embroiled in a bitter feud with Ashley and Bernice's daughter Gabby.

Here, Eden Taylor-Draper - who plays Belle - reveals details of the trouble ahead as her character arrives back home.

How does Belle feel after her release from the youth detention centre?
"Belle is alright. When she first walks through the door at home, all of the Dingles are there to give her a very warm welcome. She seems like the normal old-school Belle, who's very happy to be home and loving family life."

Did Belle find it tough when she was locked away?
"When Belle first comes in, the audience will think that everything is great and there's nothing wrong, but it has damaged her as it would to anyone. I think cracks start to show in this false appearance of Belle having a lovely life. Once she's back, there are little things that build up as time goes on.

"Belle is loving being back home, though. She's more excited to see the Dingles' dog than anyone, to be honest! It's just lovely for her to be back with her mum and she's really loving that."

What happens when Belle is preparing for her first day back at school?
"Belle is set to go to school and is feeling fine about it. She's not really thinking too much about it, but as she walks up, Gabby of all people starts causing trouble. Gabby is usually innocent as she's the vicar's daughter, but all of a sudden, she and all of her friends start circling Belle and pulling her hair, saying she's ugly, nasty and a murderer.

"That really messes with Belle's head, but she's really calm about it and she just steps away. She doesn't snap, which you would think she would."

What does Belle make of Lachlan, the new boy at Home Farm?
"The first time Belle meets Lachlan is when she's at Gemma's shrine, just tidying it up because it's not in a good condition. Lachan's dog comes and tramples all over everything. Lachlan asks if Belle knew the girl who died, and she finds it really hard to deal with him, because she feels that he's very full-on with death."

Belle also dyes her hair, doesn't she?
"Yeah, she goes from quite a light blonde to a much darker colour. I think it's just that Belle has come out of prison and she feels like she's a different person. She wants to be a different person and I think Gabby is the reason why she does it.

"After being called a murderer, Belle dyes her hair and goes to tell her mum, but Lisa is really supportive and understands why she wants to change her appearance."

Lisa is very anxious about Belle at the moment, but does Belle notice that?
"I don't think Belle is registering anyone's worry at this point. Even if she does, she's just saying that everything is fine."

Why does Belle decide that she doesn't want to go back to school?
"Belle has her first day back at school and she hates it. Then she bunks off and the Dingles get a home schooling tutor in for her. Belle thinks that's great because she won't have to deal with people. She can just crack on with school and be in her little bubble at home and think everything is fine."

What happens when Belle is asked to look after April?
"It's really sad. Belle is having breakfast with her mum when Marlon arrives and asks her to look after April. This is a massive step for Belle, because she has asked to be responsible after being treated like a child for so long.

"It's great for Belle, but then Marlon oversees something between Belle and Gabby which means that he no longer wants her near his child. That's really hard for Belle to deal with."

We'll see some more clashes between Belle and Gabby. Is Gabby still stirring things up, or is there a problem from Belle's point of view too?
"There is a problem. Gabby stirs things at the beginning, but Belle also becomes awful to Gabby - absolutely disgusting. That comes out later, but the audience don't see that at first.

"It's not characteristic of either character, because Gabby is sweet and innocent, while Belle has dealt with the past. I think that's when Belle's past comes into play again. We also see that Gabby has some issues."

We'll also see some nasty graffiti sprayed at the Dingles' home which brands Belle a murderer…
"Yeah definitely, someone starts doing this stuff. It's horrible and Belle is being bullied at this point, but nobody understands why and who it is. That's the mystery of the storyline - who is doing this stuff?"

Are you glad to be back at Emmerdale after taking time out for exams?
"Yeah, I had time out which was great and lovely, but I'm so happy to be back and it's great that there's so much kicking off with Belle. It's really exciting and unusual. It's amazing to be back."