Emmerdale fans have predicted that Tom King will strike up a new village romance with DS Thea Ramsden following his return to the ITV soap this week.
Tom, now played by James Chase, first appeared on the soap in 2004 and is the nephew of Jimmy King (Nick Miles). When he returned in 2023, he quickly began a relationship with Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper), and the pair married.
Tom's History of Abuse
However, Tom soon revealed his true nature, abusing Belle for over a year. He gaslit Belle and made her life miserable, becoming physically violent and pretending their dog Piper was dead, which caused Belle to have a breakdown.
In December 2024, Belle received justice when Tom was sentenced to three years in prison for assault and coercive control. Since then, Belle has rebuilt her life, dating Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah) and running the bridal business Take A Vow.
Return to the Village
Last month, Belle was told Tom would soon be released from prison, leaving her terrified. Although his licence conditions meant he could not legally go near her, Belle knew Tom would still find a way.
In Thursday's episode (November 5), Tom was back on screen after Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) visited him in prison, believing Tom had sent Belle a mysterious bouquet of flowers. Cain did not know the bouquet was actually from one of Belle's clients and did not believe Tom when he denied involvement. It was clear Tom had not changed for the better since being in prison, as he took pleasure in trying to wind up Cain about his cancer battle.
Fans Predict New Romance
With Tom set to be released soon, fans are certain he will return to the village and have predicted a new romance. On an Emmerdale Facebook fan page, one person asked: "Wonder who James will prey on next when he's back?"
Another fan predicted DS Thea Ramsden (Chelsea Edge), the secret daughter of Kim Tate (Claire King), writing: "I can see him and Thea maybe." A third agreed: "Same here."
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
