Samantha Womack, who plays Ronnie Branning in BBC soap Eastenders, has been attacked in the street over her role the show’s recent controversial cot death storyline.
The actress, who has already quit the soap amid the furore, was screamed at in the street by members of the public and called a ‘murdering b****’.
However Samantha refused to confirm whether her departure is due to the plotline, telling The Daily Mail: “I understand there has been a lot of anger and complaints about the storyline. I can confirm I am leaving the show, but other than that I can’t really say.”
The controversial episodes, screened on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, showed Samantha’s character Ronnie swapping her baby son James’s body with a neighbour’s newborn shortly after his death.
Broadcast watchdog Ofcom has received more than 6000 complaints about the story. A host of high profile critics, including Anne Diamond and Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts, have also spoken out, branding the storyline ‘cynical’ and ‘ill-informed’.
It was also revealed that the show’s own screenwriters are in revolt over the storyline.
The furore is becoming the BBC’s biggest controversy since 2008’s ‘Sachsgate’ scandal involving Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand.
Does E.E. think it’s viewers just want to see miserable storylines? Whatever happened to the ‘Feelgood Factor’? I so wanted things to be good for Ronnie and Jack, Ronnie’s had so much rot in her life it could have been perfect but oh no, true to form E.E. have done it again and misery reigns supreme. I find it quite uncomfortable viewing watching Kat and Alfie. Why is it being dragged out until April, why can’t they just get it sorted NOW? So cheesed off with it all. Glad Stacey’s gone to, again it was just total misery, when are we going to see something good on E.E.? Probably never!
As am father who’s stood in the hall, screaming in the dark with my dead son in my arms, I dont want this shoved back in my living room. (no, I didnt watch it, i made a brew – I’ve seen enough of that in real life). There are some subjects that even the mighty Eastenders shouldnt ‘do’. And it was tasteless enough to show it happening during the festive period (ta very f***ing much for that folks), but they didnt have to sensationalise it by swapping a corpse of an infant.
Lets just hope none of the clowns involved experience this horror for themselves.
Lets not blame the actors but the script writers. I also agree that its time there was a bit of fun in Eastenders. Thats where Corrie is different, there is usually something to laugh at even though they sometimes touch on sensitive issues. Come on Enders put some humour in as well as big serious plots.