Emmerdale Belle Dingle star’s real-life boyfriend and sister’s heartbreaking diagnosis

Belle Dingle has endured months of abuse at the hands of her husband – but thankfully, actress Eden Taylor-Draper is far happier in love.

Fans of Emmerdale have watched Belle isolate herself from her loved ones, including her beloved pet dog Piper, over the last few weeks and ITV viewers have been pleading with bosses to end her suffering. Tonight, an hour-long special will highlight the voices of domestic abuse survivors as the long-running storyline comes to an end.

But away from the drama of the dales, actress Eden lives a very different life, filled with travel and fun. She has, however, had to deal with a devastating family heartache behind the scenes. Here, the Mirror takes a look…

Little sister’s cancer diagnosis

Much like the Dingle clan, Selby-born Eden is part of a very close-knit family, and when little sister Francesca was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, she was there for her every step of the way. Francesca, affectionately nicknamed Chess by loved ones, was diagnosed with this rare blood cancer type six years ago.

Devoted sister Eden took time away from set to be by her side. Speaking with the Mirror in 2020, Eden shared: “We’ve got such a strong family. When our mum puts her mind to something, she’s always going to do it. She said, ‘You are getting better and that’s it. We’re going to get through it’.”

Eden, who went on to become an ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust, was there for Chess as she underwent monthly treatments and took daily chemo pills, and says the ordeal made their bond ‘much stronger’. She continued: “Chessie had her bed and I had a little bed next to her. Mornings would be a snuggle, cup of tea, and re-runs of Come Dine with Me. I tried to keep Chess as cosy as possible. We’d always say love you before bed, and that everything would be okay.”

Long-term boyfriend

Eden has been loved up with her boyfriend Ed Lewis since 2016, and it’s believed the pair first met at Harrogate Grammar School in North Yorkshire. The young couple share a keen love of travel, and will often share Instagram snaps from far-flung locations, including a festive trip to the Christmas markets of Vienna in Austria.