ITV’s true-crime drama A Confession has left viewers confused with its “terrible” and “shocking” accents.
The six-part series, which stars Hollywood actor Martin Freeman as Superintendent Steve Fulcher, tells the real-life story of the investigation into the disappearance and death of Sian O’Callaghan in 2011.
The 22-year-old, from Swindon in Wiltshire, was found murdered and Fulcher ended up breaching police protocol to catch the killer.
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In episode two, police finally get onto a definite lead after seeing multiple suspects and coming a cropper.
It was a gripping yet respectful second episode, but some viewers couldn’t get past the actors’ dodgy Swindon accents.
One said on Twitter: “Those bloody carrot cruncher accents. I’ve lived in #Swindon since 2003 and never met anyone who speaks like that #AConfession.”
Another wrote: “The accents on #AConfession are shocking we don’t come from Cornwall, Swindon is in Wiltshire.”
A third tweeted: “What is with the shocking accents on #AConfession #itv? they range from the Westcountry to Yorkshire!? #Swindonersarentfarmers.”
Someone else said: “#AConfession can’t take this seriously with the accents, it’s like watching Bill Bailey in Hot Fuzz.”
“Watching #AConfession but the accents are terrible @ITV,” wrote a fifth.
Those bloody carrot cruncher accents. I've lived in #Swindon since 2003 and never met anyone who speaks like that #AConfession
— Martin Kelly (@disableddaddy) September 9, 2019
The accents on #AConfession are shocking we don’t come from Cornwall, Swindon is in Wiltshire
— Sally (@Swallis1970) September 9, 2019
What is with the shocking accents on #AConfession #itv they range from the Westcountry to Yorkshire!? #Swindonersarentfarmers
— Charlotte Warwick (@CharlWarwick20) September 9, 2019
#AConfession can't take this seriously with the accents it's like watching bill Baily in Hot Fuzz
— gazzathebookie (@gazzathebookie) September 9, 2019
Watching #aconfession but the accents are terrible @ITV
— Si (@PurpleGhia) September 7, 2019
It follows complaints on social media about the camera work after the first episode aired last week.
On Twitter, viewers complained that a promising drama – one handling a sensitive subject matter, given its focus on real-life events – had been “ruined” by a shaky camera.
A Confession will explain why Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher was forced to quit his job in 2014 after being disciplined for gross misconduct.
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He breached police protocol in the hunt for killer Christopher Halliwell, whom he arrested for Sian’s murder in 2011.
In an interview with the Mirror, actor Martin Freeman said he believes the former police officer – who also got Halliwell to confess to killing a woman named Becky Godden years earlier – was treated unfairly.
He said he thinks Fulcher was “properly done”, telling the publication: “It’s one of those things where you go, ‘I can’t believe that. He’s been properly done there’. And not only has he been done, but it’s someone who you really do want working for us.”
– A Confession continues on Monday (16.09.19) at 9pm on ITV
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