Coronation Street has been hit with over 100 complaints after hate crime attack against Nina Lucas and her boyfriend Seb Franklin
- The broadcast regulator revealed on Wednesday it received 136 complaints after the soap’s transmission on Wednesday last week
- The show featured the horrific assault on Nina Lucas and Seb Franklin by a gang of thugs over her goth identity
- During Friday’s episode builder Seb passed away from the injuries he suffered during the attack, which left fans in shock
Coronation Street has been hit with over 100 complaints to Ofcom after the hate crime death against Nina Lucas and her boyfriend Seb Franklin.
The broadcast regulator revealed on Wednesday it received 136 complaints after the soap’s transmission on Wednesday last week, which featured the horrific assault on Nina and Seb by a gang of thugs over her goth identity.
During Friday’s episode builder Seb passed away from the injuries he suffered during the attack, which left fans in shock.
Shock: Coronation Street was hit with over 100 complaints after the hate crime attack against Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher, pictured) and beau Seb Franklin, Ofcom revealed on Wednesday
The storyline shares many similarities to what happened to Sophie Lancaster, who was murdered in a Lancashire park in 2007, and the soap has worked with a foundation set up by the late 20-year-old’s mother Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE.
While the soap did forewarn viewers that the scenes would be distressing, some fans were upset enough to make an official complaint.
Ofcom has yet to confirm if it will be investigating the complaints further, or if ITV breached any regulations by showing the episode.
MailOnline has contacted Coronation Street spokespeople for further comment.
Upset: Complaints were made after the episode featuring the horrific assault on the pair over Nina’s goth identity on Wednesday, fans were left heartbroken after Seb passed away on Friday
During Friday’s episode, Nina woke up from her coma after the shock incident but Seb’s brain function was severely damaged.
In the emotional episode, Seb’s mum Abi was left heartbroken and in tears as she sat by his bedside after being told his brain was no longer functioning.
The doctor told her: ‘Sebastian failed the brain stem tests. His brain is no longer sending messages to his body.
‘We were increasing the amount of organ support for Seb but I’m afraid it wasn’t working and his body has shut down.
Tough: The hate crime storyline on Corrie shares many similarities to what happened to Sophie Lancaster, who was murdered in a Lancashire park in 2007
‘There was nothing more we could do and his heart has stopped. I’m so very sorry, he has died.’
Taking to Twitter after the episode to say goodbye to the show actor Harry wrote: ‘Goodbye Coronation Street. It’s been a wild 5 years on the cobbles, and I’ve loved every second. I’ve made memories that I will cherish forever and have worked with the most amazing people.
‘I couldn’t have dreamt of a better way to spend these years of my life. Thank you so much for all the support Seb has received throughout his turbulent time on the street, and thank you so much for the amazing response to this immensely important and relevant storyline.
Trauma: In Friday’s emotional episode, Seb’s mum Abi (pictured) was left heartbroken and in tears after being told his brain was no longer functioning and he had passed away
‘There couldn’t have been a more worthy end for Seb. It was an honour to be trusted to tell this harrowing story and I hope that we have been able to make a difference and raise awareness.’
He signed off by saying: ‘It’s been an honour and a privilege. Lots of love, Harry x’
On Friday fans took to Twitter to share their heartbreak over the storyline.
One wrote: ‘Omg just caught up on tonight’s #corrie and I am a sobbing mess!!!! Such a heartbreaking story and acted so beautifully by all. Incredibly moving scenes. Rip seb @itvcorrie’.
End of an era: Taking to Twitter after the episode to say goodbye to the show Harry wrote: ‘Goodbye Coronation Street. It’s been a wild 5 years on the cobbles’
Another fan wrote: ‘That scene of abi finding out about seb…no words. sally carman is exceptional, as is this entire storyline. #Corrie
On Wednesday, Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina, discussed the hard-hitting storyline ahead of the episode, admitting she ‘wanted to cry’ after seeing her character’s injuries in make-up.
The actress added that she hopes to do the important scenes ‘justice’ and that it ‘breaks her heart’ knowing this has happened and does happen in real life.
Strong reaction: On Friday fans took to Twitter to share their heartbreak over the storyline
Speaking to The Sun, Mollie said: ‘I remember the first time I had the make-up done, I hadn’t filmed any scenes yet and I’d just been rehearsing it in my mirror at home by myself. As soon as the makeup was done, I just wanted to cry.
‘I remember looking at my reflection and thinking: ‘Wow’. I already knew it was awful but when you’re actually in it, I thought I could cry.
‘It was a really strange feeling. I kept thinking about all the scenes and what was coming up. It did help in a way as I was able to hold that feeling when we filmed the scenes. It was a massive help.’
Awful: On Wednesday, Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina, discussed the hard-hitting storyline, admitting she ‘wanted to cry’ after seeing her character’s injuries (pictured in soap still)
Mollie added to the Mirror: ‘Because this stuff has happened it’s such an important story to tell. I felt a lot of emotions. I am really privileged to be given such an important storyline but I am also nervous because I want to do the story justice.
‘I have really put my all into it and hopefully it shows. You see the human effect this has on someone who you would say is strong. Knowing this has happened and does happen breaks my heart.’
Mollie said that she worked closely with the late Sophie Lancaster’s mother Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE to make sure she was as ‘accurate’ as possible during the storyline.
Sylvia told the publication it was ‘lovely’ to speak to Mollie and that people are ‘looking behind’ her character Nina’s clothes and image.
She added: ‘It so important to get the message out there, intolerance and prejudice, we have to get it out of society. Alternative people like other minorities deserve to walk down the street without being abused physically or emotionally.’
Hard-hitting: The actress added that she hopes to do the important scenes ‘justice’ and that it ‘breaks her heart’ knowing this has happened and does happen in real life
Sylvia also appeared on Wednesday’s This Morning where she praised Coronation Street for handling the storyline ‘sensitively’.
She said: ‘You can tell, they sort of live and breathe the work they’re doing, and you know they’re going to do things with sensitivity and the best they can, and you can’t ask any more than that.’
Sylvia said that due to Covid her foundation has not been able to go into schools or festivals but they have still ‘kept busy’ by ‘working in a different way’.
She added: ‘Sometimes it only takes a couple of seconds stand back and think about and see what we can do and make a difference to people’s lives.’
Sophie and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, then 21, were set upon and beaten in a park simply because of the way they looked on 11 August in 2007.
Murdered for dressing differently: Sophie Lancaster was just 20-years-old when she was murdered by a group of teenage boys in a park in Lancashire on 11 August 2007
Sophie’s injuries were so severe, she died in hospital 13 days later, aged 20. Ryan Herbert and Brendan Harris, then both 15, were sentenced to life in prison.
Her mum, Sylvia, set up the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in her daughter’s memory to focus on creating respect and understanding of subcultures in communities.
When the storyline was first discussed producers and the research team approached Sylvia who was delighted to be able to work with them to help highlight the issue.
Sophie’s mother Sylvia said that the soap covering a story about the abuse alternative people face ‘means such a huge amount’ to her.
She said: ‘I know first-hand the abuse, harassment and violence that alternative people suffer.
‘Hate crime is usually directed at already stigmatised and minority groups and Sophie was assaulted three times before that final, sustained and brutal attack that took her life – but she never reported the earlier assaults.
On hand: Mollie said that she worked closely with the late Sophie Lancaster’s mother Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE to make sure she was as ‘accurate’ as possible during the storyline (Sylvia pictured on Quest Red series Britain’s Deadliest Kids)
‘Coronation Street covering this issue means such a huge amount to me. We want alternative people to know that they shouldn’t be putting up with this prejudice and intolerance, and they should report it.
‘We want the wider community to really appreciate the horror of this violence and understand that difference in itself, is not frightening, it just makes us all who we are.
‘We will also use this platform to continue raising awareness of Sophie’s case with the police and judiciary to make sure that hate crime against alternative people is recognised and treated with the degree of severity that it deserves.’
On the importance of tackling this storyline Coronation Street, producer Iain MacLeod said: ‘The issue of intolerance and hatred towards people from different cultures and subcultures is arguably more relevant now than it’s ever been.
‘This incredibly hard-hitting storyline, which centres on a senseless act of violence, will draw in characters from all corners of our narrative universe and will, we hope, leave the audience with a clear message: everyone, regardless of how they look, how they dress or any aspect of how they live their life, should be treated with tolerance and respect.
‘The story will run across the rest of the year and beyond, with many twists and turns, and will be heartbreaking and dramatic in equal measure. In the end, the story will see an optimistic outcome emerge from the traumatic attack.’
Taking part: When the storyline was first discussed producers and the research team approached Sylvia who was delighted to be able to work with them to help highlight the issue
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