Belle Dingle (previously King) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Eden Taylor-Draper.

Belle made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 25 December 1998, originally played by twins Emily and James Mather.

Belle has featured in various storylines throughout her time on the soap, such as falling down a mineshaft, killing her best friend Gemma Andrews (Tendai Rinomhota), having an affair with doctor Jermaine Bailey (Micah Balfour), faking a pregnancy to prevent Jermaine from leaving after their affair is revealed, being diagnosed with schizophrenia, a relationship with Lachlan White (Thomas Atkinson) which ends after discovering he is a serial killer and various mental health relapses.

In 2024, Belle was at the centre of a high-profile storyline which sees her being coercively controlled and abused by husband Thomas King (James Chase).

When Belle is seven years old, she goes missing after she is left at home under the care of her uncle Shadrach Dingle (Andy Devine), who has fallen asleep.

Belle befriends Sean Spencer (Luke Roskell) and dates his best friend Thomas King (Mark Flanagan) to make him jealous.

Belle trashes David Metcalfe's (Matthew Wolfenden) shop and Edna Birch's (Shirley Stelfox) house.

Lachlan offers Belle a legal high pill, which she takes and is relieved to discover that the voices in her head stop.

Belle tells Zak and Lisa that she has been hearing Gemma's voice since leaving the young offender's institute and she is referred to a psychiatrist.

Belle continues to support her mother as she adjusts to being a second-time divorcee, even encouraging her to make a fresh start with the family by her side.

Zak is arrested as Rishi Sharma (Bhasker Patel) accuses him of starting the fire, but Belle admits it was her and she is sacked.

The cafe owner later tries to feed Belle, but she runs away when he talks to a police officer and she ends up collapsing from malnutrition and dehydration.

Twins Emily and James Mather were cast as Belle after their mother, Joanne, was told the soap's producers were looking for babies to play a role in the show.

[3] It was revealed on 23 January 2014 that Belle would have a life-changing storyline later in the year which would see her unintentionally kill her best friend, Gemma Andrews (Tendai Rinomhota) after an argument gets out of hand.

Speaking about the build-up to the moment, Taylor-Draper explained that the situation gets "a bit heated" due to the pair both liking Sean.

She explains that "cracks start to show in this false appearance of Belle having a lovely life", and that "there are little things that build up as time goes on".

[8] Emmerdale producers consulted with the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust for the storyline, who stated that they were happy to lend support to the soap as it has "a great platform for raising awareness of serious mental illnesses like psychosis".

[8] The storyline reaches a "climax" in January 2015 when Belle bites Katie Sugden (Sammy Winward) and locks herself in a car, leading medical professionals to get involved.

Prior to the relationship beginning, Taylor-Draper and Balfour were taken in for a meeting with series producer Ian MacLeod for a "character conference", where he revealed plans for the two to be a romantic pairing.

[15] However, Belle stops taking her medication for her mental illness, and voices begin "telling her what to do", with thoughts such as pouring wine over step-mother Joanie and pretend to be pregnant with Jermaine's baby.

Taylor-Draper praised the soap for revisiting Belle's mental health struggles, as she felt that it would be inconsiderate to portray psychosis as a "one-off thing" when people "deal with it for life".

[18] Taylor-Draper was then photographed filming "emotional new scenes" on-location, which depicted a "tired and in turmoil" homeless Belle "sleeping rough" on the street.

[16] She is found by a police officer who takes her home, but the experience worsens her symptoms, and the voices in her head begin telling her that Lisa is evil.

[20] When Lachlan is responsible for the deaths of his mother and grandfather, he leaves a voicemail to his friend, Gerry Roberts (Shaun Thomas).

[24] In 2020, Jamie Tate (Alexander Lincoln) leaves Moira Dingle (Natalie J. Robb), the wife of Belle's half-brother, for dead after he hits her with his car.

The actress enjoyed "preserving the twist" due to storyline details often being leaked, which she felt ruins the shock element to certain scenes of the soap.

[31] With only Belle in the frame for the crime, her mental health begins to worsen, and Jamie adds to her worries when he calls her threatening to "destroy" her.

The voices begin by telling her that Andrea s to blame for everything happening, causing Belle to inform Millie that her mother is evil.

[39] In 2023, Emmerdale announced that Belle would be at the centre of a coercive control and abuse storyline, at the hands of husband Thomas King (James Chase).

[41] The storyline saw Emmerdale alter its format for a special episode, in which different outcomes were shown depending on the choices Belle could make in regards to her relationship with Tom.