Emmerdale hit with Ofcom complaints as viewers threaten to boycott
A harrowing storyline in Emmerdale sparked Ofcom complaints (Image: ITV)
Emmerdale has been hit with 60 Ofcom complaints over a harrowing storyline that left viewers “depressed and disturbed”.
The ITV soap has been tackling the issue of county lines trafficking and sex slavery through a difficult plot focused on April (Amelia Flanagan).
As viewers know, April has been involved in drug dealing for Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) to help pay off her boyfriend Dylan’s (Fred Kettle) debt.
It was revealed that Ray’s mother Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) was the one behind the drug gang, and had also forced April into sex work.
An episode that aired on October 30 before the watershed has now received 60 complaints, with Ofcom confirming they relate to a scene where a sex abuser called Callum attempted to rape April after Celia sold her for sex.
Difficult scenes saw Celia force April into sex work (Image: ITV)
The episode saw April, after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, refuse to go through with it, but Callum turned angry and tried to force himself on her, so she smacked him across the head with a bottle,thinking she’d killed him.
Viewers were horrified watching the scenes unfold, as one wrote: “Soaps are meant to be light relief after a hard days work. We see enough of this in dramas so we do not need to see it in soaps.”
“It was very painful to watch, awful,” another said, while someone else called the storyline “dreadful”.
“This story is vile I am going to stop watching Emmerdale,” someone else wrote.
Marlon was ‘shot’ dead in a recent Emmerdale episode but it turned out to just be April’s imagination (Image: ITV)
Another said: “So disappointed with this it’s sick, such a shame it used to be a good soap.”
Someone else said: “I agree, have had enough of these story lines. Yes I understand they are trying to portray real life but it’s just too much now to sit and watch this…we used to watch for entertainment to lighten our days so to speak but to have a voice say after every episode If you have been affected by this. What is going on x.”
Another fumed: “It’s no wonder this show is going down the pan with harrowing and violent storylines like this one and I’m so glad that I don’t watch this rubbish anymore as I want to watch something on the TV in the evening that is going to cheer and uplift me and not this depressing and disturbing nonsense.”
Another viewer meanwhile shared: “It may only be a soap but it has highlighted how young people are drawn into the world of drugs and sexual exploitation. Personally, I think the writers have done a great job in raising our awareness.”
April is played by Amelia Flanagan (Image: ITV)
In scenes that followed, April confessed everything that had happened to her to her dad Marlon (Mark Charnock), who vowed to help her and keep her safe, but as he prepared to go to the police, Ray stormed in and shot Marlon, with April watching him die in front of her.
It was then revealed that the shooting had been a daydream, and Marlon was still alive, though April’s future is uncertain.The actress took to Instagram to reshare a clip from the episode, paying tribute to her co-star, and writing: “@markcharnock No one I would rather have done this ep with (sic).”