EastEnders has responded to BBC viewer complaints over Ben Mitchell’s harrowing rape scenes earlier this month.
The devastating storyline began after Walford troublemaker Ben, played by Max Bowden, exchanged barbs with husband Callum over his vigilante actions against homophobes, creating a rift between the couple.
When he later realised he had made a mistake deciding to go home with online hook-up Lewis Butler, Ben tried to leave.
But sex attacker Lewis (Aidan O’Callaghan) refused to let him go and raped him in horrifying scenes on the BBC soap.
The BBC has now responded to an influx of viewer complaints over the EastEnders story, which were part of a pre-announced storyline to raise awareness around the subject of male rape.
But a number of viewers took issue with the pre-watershed scenes, taking to Twitter to respond, with one commenting: “That genuinely made me feel sick to the core.”
One EastEnders fan said: “I had to turn it over.. I couldn’t” as another said: “That was awful to watch. Made me feel physically sick.”
Another wrote: “This was NOT suitable TV before the watershed.”
The BBC has now confirmed they received complaints from viewers who were “unhappy” with “some of the content” in the episode.
The BBC issued a statement in response, writing: “EastEnders has been a pre-watershed BBC One staple for over 37 years and has a rich history of dealing with challenging and difficult issues and Ben’s story is one of these.
“We have worked closely with organisations and experts in the field to tell this story which we hope will raise awareness of sexual assaults and the issues surrounding them.
“We are always mindful of the timeslot in which EastEnders is shown and we took great care to signpost this storyline prior to transmission, through on-air continuity and publicity as well as providing a BBC Action Line at the end of the episode which offers advice and support to those affected by the issue.”
EastEnders worked with relevant charities and experts to portray this hard-hitting storyline as sensitively and honestly as possible.
Subsequent episodes have shown the effect that the attack has on Ben, his relationship with Callum and the rest of his family as he tries to come to terms with the ordeal.
BBC Head of Continuing Drama Kate Oates said of the storyline: “We hope to explore issues of consent, sexual identity, masculinity, and sexual assault, focusing on how this fateful night impacts Ben and those who love him over the coming months.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One
*If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
