EastEnders Violent Stabbing Promts 200 Complaints

[Detomah]

A violent scene in BBC One soap EastEnders featuring a character being stabbed has prompted 200 viewers to complain to the corporation.
The episode showed Jay Brown, played by Jamie Borthwick, being stabbed in the leg by a local gang.

Media regulator Ofcom received seven complaints. A spokeswoman said it "would be looking into the matter".

The BBC said: "This is part of a long running storyline that in no way glamorises the use of knives."

'Real issues'

Viewers have seen Jay befriend members of a gang which was terrorising long-serving character Dot Cotton. But the group turned on him after Jay argued with the gang leader.

"EastEnders has always tackled difficult issues and we acknowledge that some viewers could consider this storyline challenging," a BBC spokesperson said.

"However, we aim to reflect real issues and during this storyline the audience will see Jay's torment, through to him deciding not to yield to peer pressure like his father did many years ago.

"The storyline will culminate in the character of Jay doing the right thing."

The spokesperson added: "The BBC has a strict set of editorial guidelines which all programmes must adhere to, to ensure that the violence portrayed was suitable for pre-watershed viewing."

This is not the first time viewers have complained about the level of violence included in the show.

Back in November the BBC received 663 complaints after scenes showed a gang carrying out an attack in the Queen Victoria pub.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | EastEnders stabbing angers fans

Note: From a personal point of view, all I can actually say on this is, thank goodness my remote control works and that I have alternative channels to flick over to the moment I realise EastEnders is coming on next. Although EastEnders isn't the only show I feel that way about, Neighbours, Home and Away, HollyOaks, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctors, any reality show (Big Brother the exception) and anything else I consider absolute rubbish and a waste of TV licence holders money like that also gets the big thumbs down from me.

[Paparika]

Geeeze they've had far more violence on eastenders than jay getting stabbed and you didn't see the knife go in, his so called m8 pushed into him and that was it.

[Sash]

People will always complain. The episode was the mildest stabbing I'd ever seen. A bump, and then a bit of blood, you wouldn't have known he'd been stabbed if it hadn't shown the knife afterwards. Either way with the recent spate of knifing amongst young gangs at the moment I think its a very good storyline.

[CakeNBacon]

Notice he was stabbed in a similar fashion as Dennis. The attacker walks by the victim, They plunge in the knife, you don't see it. The end.