Emmerdale has landed itself in hot water this year, racking up a staggering 1,189 Ofcom complaints since the dawn of 2024, thanks to its gut-wrenching abuse storyline involving Tom King and Belle Dingle.
But it’s not just the human drama that’s got viewers up in arms. The most controversial scenes, which have drawn a whopping 826 complaints alone, featured Tom’s shocking mistreatment of their pet dog Piper.
Viewers were left reeling as Tom drugged the pooch to induce sickness and then cruelly confined her at the vets, all while Belle was away at a mental health facility.
The plot thickened this week when the couple took off to a Welsh holiday cottage, where Tom heartlessly left Piper outside without food or water, causing Belle immense distress and leaving the dog barking through the night.
The domestic abuse saga has escalated to unbearable levels, prompting fans to vent their horror online. One distressed viewer posted: “I can’t watch, this is disturbing,” reports the Express.
(Image: (Image: ITV))
Another chimed in with: “Cue the complaints to Ofcom!” A third agreed, saying: “NO he’s so evil that dog has been outside all night! And now he’s locked Belle in the house so she can’t go and get her.”
The tension peaked when blood was spotted on the cottage walls, leading some to fear the worst for Piper. However, it turned out to be Belle’s blood after a violent encounter with Tom resulted in her crashing into broken glass.
The only two shows that received more complaints were Good Morning Britain, which also sparked controversy over a dog-related debate – specifically, a heated discussion between guests about whether XL Bullies should be banned. This year, GMB has been hit with 2,413 complaints, with 1,634 of these stemming from the contentious dog episode aired on May 30th.
(Image: (Image: ITV))
In second place was ITV’s daytime programme This Morning, which faced backlash following controversial remarks made by guest Nick Ferrari who expressed his ideal airline wouldn’t permit anyone with a nut allergy to board. This Morning racked up 1,264 Ofcom complaints in total, with 637 of these linked to the May 28th episode.
Emmerdale wasn’t the sole soap opera in the top 10, as Hollyoaks secured fifth place with 358 complaints, primarily centred around a storyline featuring a trans child character.
This information comes courtesy of online casino site Nodeposit365, which scrutinised Ofcom data from January 2nd to July 15th 2024.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
