Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has confirmed it has received over 250 complaints about the ITV soap Emmerdale in the past week as the domestic abuse storyline between two of its characters took another turn.
Belle Dingle (played by Eden Taylor Draper) has been the victim of horrific abuse at the hands of ex Tom King (James Chase) for months now and this week, he used her pet dog Piper to try and regain control over his estranged wife's life.
The wicked character ran over Piper in his car in an attempt to reconnect with Belle and the poor pooch was eventually killed by Chase's character.
Emmerdale has been forewarning its fans about the harrowing storyline and has worked with the charity Dogs Trust when putting the plot together.
Earlier this week, Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust said of the storyline: "The recent storyline involving Belle, Tom and Piper is incredibly distressing, but sadly it is reflective of what we too often see through our work."
But despite the warnings and collaborations with charities, ITV viewers have criticised the show for how the plot has been portrayed - and the length of time the storyline has gone on.
ITV Emmerdale: Tom King has been abusing his estranged wife Belle for months
ITV
So much so, that a total of 282 complaints were made to Ofcom about two instalments of the soap this past week.
Emmerdale was slapped with 183 complaints for its episode on August 16 that showed Tom run over Piper while a further 99 complaints were lodged in response to the August 19 episode in which he told Belle about the dog's fate.
An Ofcom spokesperson confirmed that "complaints related to a character intentionally running over a dog with his car" and further "complaints related to the dog not surviving".
The volume of complaints may not come as a surprise to soap bosses given the reception the Emmerdale social media accounts have received in recent days - even when trying to allay fears about the safety of dog Minnie (who plays Piper).
Behind the scenes: See how we worked with Piper the dog on set 🐾#Emmerdale @ITV pic.twitter.com/LllYsvpsZB
— Emmerdale (@emmerdale) August 19, 2024
Amid the uproar to the storyline, the Emmerdale X account shared a heartwarming clip of Minnie enjoying life behind the scenes, but the post was met with fans calling for the distressing plot to end.
"So sick of this storyline now it’s dragging on and on and on and on and now to bring this into it is just sick. Wont be watching till this storyline is over," one fan fumed.
A second similarly hit out: "Loved Piper. I felt the death was really unnecessary. The writer doesn’t appear to have read the room after Piper came close to being killed before or recognised how many animal lovers watch the programme."
"Not good enough. This part of the Storyline was unnecessary and unacceptable," a third raged in relation to Piper's involvement.
While a fourth blasted: "I’ve watched this for 20 plus years, not any more. Showing an animal suffering is NOT entertainment in a prime time so called family show. At least I need only watch Eastenders now, less time in front of the tv I guess."
A fifth echoed: "None of us think Minnie was harmed in real life but no one wants to watch an innocent healthy dog get harmed then put to sleep in the name of entertainment! Shame on you!"
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There has been some defence for the ITV show online, however, including from one X user who argued: "It's a soap and the dog never got hurt! Jeez people calm down! Piper was the only thing Belle had that Tom could punish her with! It's a story! I just can't wait for Tom to be gone, he is a proper soap villain." (sic)
And Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw had previously defended the use of Piper in the Tom and Belle storyline, insisting the plot was "research-led".
She told Digital Spy in June: "Well we should have got an ugly dog, that's the first thing I'm going to say! Having that cute dog, I don't think has helped. Whenever you put any sort of pet in danger in Emmerdale, people go up in arms about it, so I did expect it.
"Piper will definitely have a future role in the story. It is research-led. One of the things we found is that pets can be something that abusers will use.
"They will use the family pet, they will use the people that you love – they'll use them as weapons against you."
If you've been affected by the themes in the storyline and want confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy (www.aafda.org.uk).
