Emmerdale axed from TV next week in schedule shake-up that will leave fans seething

Drama continues to unfold in Emmerdale next week with one crucial storyline set to end in mere weeks. However, ITV has scrapped the soap as football is set to cause more TV chaos

While fans eagerly wait for Tom King's downfall, one crucial episode has been removed from schedules next week.

Actor James Chase has been wreaking havoc as Tom King in Emmerdale in recent scenes, by notably tormenting on-screen wife Belle Dingle, played by Eden Taylor-Draper. Bosses have since confirmed that comeuppance is imminent for the villain as his reign of terror will end next month.

However, as drama picks up a pace in the Yorkshire-based soap, ITV has made a decision that could leave fans frustrated, and confirmed that next Thursday's (November 14) hour-long instalment of the soap has been scrapped from schedules.

Instead, the broadcaster will air England's UEFA Nations League match against Greece, which will take place at Wembley Stadium, from 7pm, ahead of the kick-off set for 7.45pm, to 10pm.

Soap aficionados will therefore have to wait until Friday, November 15, 2024 to catch up with all the drama in the Dales, from its usual airing time of 7.30pm. Another instalment of rival ITV soap Coronation Street will then take up its usual slot, from 8pm to 9pm.

This comes after Emmerdale bosses have teased Tom King's final chapter as the sinister vet is due for an exit deprived of a redemption arc. A special hour-long episode will be aired in December to mark the end of Belle's coercive control ordeal. The long-running show is set to highlight the real-life voices of domestic abuse victims and survivors.

Emmerdale enlisted the help of The Refuge, the UK's largest domestic abuse organisation for women, to ensure the storyline's accuracy - but how will Tom's time in Emmerdale end? Could Belle have another gruesome plan in mind to finally be free from her abusive husband?

Speaking about the upcoming instalment, Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: "When we first embarked on this journey we knew we wanted to show domestic abuse, coercive control and manipulation in all its guises."

"The privilege we have on a drama such as Emmerdale is being able to show the reality of a situation like Belle's over a longer period of time to authentically reflect what so many people go through in real life on a daily basis."

She added: "We knew from the outset that Belle would need some sort of closure on Tom and we know our Emmerdale audience always look forward to our villains getting their comeuppance. We don't want to spoil the outcome of this story and reveal what will happen to Tom, but needless to say, Belle's going to be in a much better place by this Christmas."

Amid theories that Tom could be exposed by his closest allies, which include girlfriend Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell) and uncle Jimmy King (Nick Miles), and speculation that he may turn murderous ahead of his exit, some viewers have argued that a definitive end to the son of Carl King could send a negative message to domestic abuse survivors and victims. But will Tom really see justice, particularly as his manipulative tactics have, so far, all been successful?

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