Aidan Connor ITV Corrie
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Ofcom issues statement on Aidan Connor suicide

The episode received complaints from some viewers

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Ofcom has dismissed 11 complaints about the suicide of Aidan Connor (Shayne Ward) in Coronation Street, a storyline which was widely praised by the soap’s fans.

A spokeswoman said: “We considered a small number of complaints about this storyline involving a character ending his life.

“However, neither the suicide nor the body were shown.

“We also took into account that clear warnings were provided at the start of the programme, and that ITV worked closely with Samaritans when creating the storyline.”

Aidan shortly before he took his life (Credit: ITV)

Read more: Next week’s Coronation Street says a final goodbye to Aidan

The broadcasting watchdog also rejected complaints about a recent Emmerdale murder scene.

The regulator received more than 100 complaints about the murder of character Gerry Roberts, broadcast last month.

Ex-convict Gerry (Shaun Thomas) died at the hands of Lachlan White (Thomas Atkinson), who lured him to a B&B so that its roof collapsed on him, in the ITV soap.

Gerry was murdered by his best friend Lachlan (Credit: ITV)

An Ofcom spokeswoman said: “We carefully assessed complaints that scenes involving violence were not suitable for broadcast before the watershed.

“However, we found that no graphic details were shown on screen.

“The scenes were also part of a long-running storyline, which would have been within regular viewers’ expectations.”

The watchdog also resolved complaints about The Wright Stuff after Anne Hegerty was accused of making an insensitive comment to transgender campaigner and journalist Paris Lees while on the Channel 5 show.

Anne Hegerty came under fire (Credit: Channel 5)

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Ofcom said that steps had been “taken by Channel 5 to ensure any similar remarks are responded to promptly in future”.

Do you think the right decision was made? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!


Kaggie Hyland
Editor-in-Chief

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