Soaps like Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders and Hollyoaks often tackle difficult topics and sensitive storylines, but every so often fans feel they’ve taken things too far.
Last month, 850 horrified Emmerdale viewers reached out to broadcasting regulator Ofcom to complain about vile Tom King’s (James Chase) abuse of pet dog Piper, making it one of the most complained about stories in soap history.
Soap boss Laura Shaw spoke out about the storyline, insisting that they should have used an ‘ugly dog’ and revealing that she expected the outrage from viewers.
‘I don’t think having such a cute dog has helped. Whenever you put any pet in danger on Emmerdale everyone goes up in arms about it. Did I expect it? Yes.’
She continued: ‘Piper will certainly have a future role in the story. I’m joking about it but it’s research-led. One of the things we found is that that’s one of the things that abusers will use, they use a family pet, people you love, they’ll use them as weapons against you.
‘So this is all based on research, I promise you it’s not just us being mean to the dog for the sake of it.’
Continuing dramas rarely refuse to shy away from difficult or controversial storylines, which, as well as garnering them a lot of respect, can also lead to a lot of backlash.
Clutch your pearls, because what follow are the most complained about soap storylines of all time.
Ronnie’s baby swap – 13,400 complaints
The titan of all controversial storylines, the moment that saw Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) swap the body of her dead baby with Kat Slater’s (Jessie Wallace) newborn son Tommy, has never been forgotten.
Very quickly, national outrage was sparked by plot, with 13,400 horrified viewers making their anger known officially to the BBC and over 1,000 directly contacting Ofcom.
The show reacted swiftly, completely re-writing the story and cutting it short. Not long after the now infamous New Year scenes aired, actress Sam quit the show to rest the long suffering character of Ronnie.
All of that said, Ofcom eventually cleared the soap, explaining that while the scenes on their own could be perceived as offensive, they were within the boundaries in the wider context of a show known for tackling tough issues.
Karen’s anti-vax rant – 684 complaints
During the Covid lockdowns, the soaps had a balancing act over how much they should address what was going on.
With characters constantly standing metres apart and the usually bustling pubs and shops closed, it was hard not to.
When EastEnders returned to our screens after a pandemic induced hiatus, there was discussion amid the residents and the writers decided that there needed to be two sides to an argument over vaccines.
It didn’t go well. Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) was seen ranting that she didn’t want to be a lab rat and have poison pumped into her.
As Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) branded her an anti-vaxxer, Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) added that he had been in hospital at death’s door with Covid, and wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Social media was immediately alight with horror at Karen’s words – and the complaints to the BBC came thick and fast, making it the most complained about moment to the channel in a decade.
Phelan’s double murder – 541 complaints
It is impossible for any Coronation Street fan to not remember Pat Phelan’s (Connor McIntyre) reign of terror.
The Corrie serial killer went a step further in menace and brutality in a number of graphic scenes, which included him sexually assaulting Anna Windass (Debbie Rush), shooting his daughter Nicola (Nicola Thorp) and eventually being stabbed to death.
But one horrifying moment topped them all, and led to discussions across all media on whether Coronation Street had overstepped the mark and become too dark.
In a darkened warehouse, Phelan held Andy, a man he had held as his hostage in a cellar for half a year, at gunpoint.
He forced him to shoot dead his own henchman, in a drawn out scene which traumatised Andy.
Phelan went on to then shoot and kill a sobbing Andy anyway, in a shocking bloodbath that saw waves upon waves of complaints.
Kate Oates, the show’s boss at the time and now BBC’s Director of Drama, even found herself on morning TV defending her storylines.
Despite hysterics from the Loose Women, Ofcom cleared the show, saying: ‘While the threatening tone of the 20:30 episode reached the upper limits of what audiences are likely to expect pre-watershed, we considered this was mitigated by other factors which ensured that overall the material was suitable for a pre-watershed audience on ITV and ITV2.’
They added that the violence was limited and not ‘graphic nor gratuitous in nature’ and said that regular fans would have anticipated Phelan’s actions as part of the ‘culmination of an established storyline’.
Follow Metro Soaps on WhatsApp and get all the latest spoilers first!
Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who’s leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale?
Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews.
Simply click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers!
Emmerdale Dognapping – 448 complaints
The soaps are often airing scenes of kidnapping, sieges and hostage situations, but it seems that viewers draw the line when it comes to dognapping.
Viewers were horrified by scenes aired in 2016 that saw Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) and Ross Barton discussing a plan to make money by holding a dog for ransom.
The story received 448 complaints from viewers who were concerned that the scenes may inspire people to commit similar crimes in real life.
However, Ofcom dropped the investigation, with a spokesperson explaining:
‘We received a number of complaints about the risk that a storyline involving an attempted theft of a dog could encourage similar behaviour.
‘We found that the scenes were not likely to condone or encourage people to attempt dog theft, taking into account the dramatic context and that the characters involved were clearly not role models.
‘It was clear to viewers they were behaving in a morally questionable manner, and the attempt to capture a dog failed.’
Jai and Laurel’s abortion decision – 447 complaints
In 2020, Emmerdale aired a controversial storyline which saw Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) and Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) decide to abort their baby after discovering that it had Down’s Syndrome.
When the storyline was announced, fans were up in arms, and Ofcom received hundreds of complaints before the story had even aired.
Following its broadcast, the storyline had received a total of 447 complaints from outraged viewers.
On top of the official complaints, a petition asking for Emmerdale to drop the storyline reached over 30,000 signatures.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, show producer Laura Shaw defended the story, saying:
‘We’re confident that what we’ve produced has been done in a really balanced and sensitive way. We haven’t gone into this blindly, we’ve spoken to as many people as we possibly can.
‘We’ve got the research, this is based on real life, and I think people will see that. You’re going to feel uncomfortable at times watching it, but I hope that people will then, as they watch it, understand why we’ve done it.’
Acid attacks in the Dales and on the cobbles – 438 complaints
Back in 2018, Emmerdale bad boy Ross Barton (Michael Parr) became the victim of a vicious acid attack.
366 viewers complained about the scene in which the acid was thrown by drug dealer Simon.
According to Ofcom, they were concerned that families with younger children may have seen the violent scene, as it was aired pre-watershed.
A spokesperson for Emmerdale later addressed the complaints.
‘Emmerdale has a long track record of tackling difficult and topical storylines and the unprovoked acid attack upon Ross is another example of this.
‘We take our responsibility seriously when portraying what happens in these circumstances.’
Following that, 72 people hit back at Coronation Street last year when Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) was also subjected to a vicious acid attack when protecting Daisy Midgley (Charlotte Jordan) from her stalker Justin Rutherford (Andrew Still).
Ro Lomax’s transgender storyline – 358 complaints
Earlier this year, a number of Hollyoaks fans complained to broadcasting regulator Ofcom following Ro Lomax’s (Ava Webster) groundbreaking trans storyline.
358 complaints were made to the TV watchdog from viewers of the Channel 4 soap between March 4 and 7, which is when the storyline in question was the central focus of episodes.
Ben’s rape ordeal – 353 complaints
In 2022, EastEnders aired a storyline that saw Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) raped by Lewis Butler (Aidan O’Callaghan).
The story sparked a massive 353 complaints from upset viewers.
However, EastEnders later issued a statement in response to the complaints, saying:
‘EastEnders has been a pre-watershed BBC One staple for over 37 years and has a rich history of dealing with challenging and difficult issues and Ben’s story is one of these.
‘We have worked closely with organisations and experts in the field to tell this story which we hope will raise awareness of sexual assaults and the issues surrounding them.
‘We are always mindful of the timeslot in which EastEnders is shown and we took great care to signpost this storyline prior to transmission, through on-air continuity and publicity as well as providing a BBC Action Line at the end of the episode which offers advice and support to those affected by the issue.’
Geoff kills and cooks Yasmeen’s chicken – 350 complaints
Coronation Street viewers were left absolutely horrified in 2020 when evil Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew) fed Yasmeen Nazir (Shelley King) her pet chicken for dinner.
The scenes came as part of a coercive-control storyline, which saw Geoff constantly belittle and gaslight Yasmeen over the period of several months.
Cooking Charlotte the chicken was a step too far for the 350 people who complained about the episode.
Geoff ultimately got his comeuppance during the shows 60th anniversary episodes, when he fell off the roof and died, surrounded by Charlotte’s surviving sisters.
Evelyn’s therapy comments – 275 complaints
Coronation Street favourite Evelyn Plummer (Maureen Lipman) never fails to make us laugh. She’s a no nonsense, says exactly what she thinks type of woman, and the viewers love her for it.
However, there was one occasion where she took things too far, leading to outrage.
During an episode in 2021, Evelyn made some comments about play therapy that shocked viewers and led to 275 complaints.
‘She’s had play therapy, touchy, feely rubbish, new age, but she needs something long-term. Teach her right from wrong.’
Her outdated opinions left viewers furious, and resulted in some backlash.
EastEnders’ portrayal of social workers – 193 complaints
EastEnders was hit with 193 complaints in 2022 following a storyline which saw Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) daughter Annie taken away from her, after Linda was framed for drink driving by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks).
Viewers were furious over the way social workers were portrayed in the story, claiming that it was ‘inaccurate’.
David’s rape – 183 complaints
Coronation Street pushed the boundaries of soap in 2018 by airing the first male rape storyline.
The story involved David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) and was inspired by true stories.
The impact of the storyline was huge, with calls to charities and helplines increasing by hundreds of percent.
Despite this, Ofcom received 183 complaints regarding the storyline.
However, these were dismissed, with a spokesperson saying: ‘This storyline tackled a sensitive and challenging subject, which we appreciate was uncomfortable viewing for some.
‘However, we considered that ITV took extensive steps to ensure it was handled sensitively and carefully.
‘These included working closely with a victim support group, and repeatedly signposting the help available to anyone affected by sexual violence.
‘We also considered that, although the offender’s violent intentions were clearly implied, the scenes were neither explicit nor graphic. Finally, we took into account that clear warnings were broadcast before both episodes.’
Racism in Coronation Street – 139 complaints
In 2022 Coronation Street began airing a storyline which saw Max Turner (Paddy Bever) groomed into joining a right-wing extremist group.
The episode aired on November 16 received 139 complaints in relation to the storyline.
In the episode, it was revealed that Daryan, a young asylum seeker, had been been the victim of a racially motivated attack.
When confronted by Alya, Max defended his new friends, claiming that they weren’t racist and had nothing to do with the attack.
Liam threatened with a knife – 135 complaints
Over recent months, Corrie teenager Liam Connor (Charlie Wrenshall) has fallen victim to vile bullying from schoolboys Mason Radcliffe (Luca Toolan) and Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne).
In horrifying scenes, the online trolling escalated to Mason wielding a zombie knife at Liam which resulted in him contemplating suicide.
135 complaints flooded in from fans of the show.
Billy and Paul reignite their sex life following MND diagnosis – 52 complaints
52 Coronation Street viewers complained following scenes surrounding Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) and Paul Foreman’s (Peter Ash) relationship.
Paul was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in emotional scenes last year.
Realising that there would be a day when the condition would progress to a point when his husband would be unable to speak, Billy suggested that they tried recording some things like the specialist had said, but Paul interrupted him with a kiss, saying that he was too busy ‘living life to the full’.
After a romantic afternoon on the sofa, Billy and Paul read through the book they had been given, before reflecting on the reignited passion of their sex lives.
MORE : 23 iconic soap stars you didn’t know were related in real life
MORE : Major Emmerdale character’s exit storyline ‘confirmed’ as violent torture twist is revealed
MORE : Tom’s fate finally ‘sealed’ as three Emmerdale legends set out to expose him
The Soaps Newsletter
Sign up for daily Soaps updates and our weekly Editor’s special for juicy exclusives and interviews. Privacy Policy
Share this with