Emmerdale has been hit with dozens of Ofcom complaints after its latest harrowing storyline saw April Windsor s3x trafficked.
Struggling with debts, April, 16, turns to drug dealing, but when she arrives in a hotel room to deliver drugs to a businessman, she realises that he is expecting a lot more from the interaction.
April then has no choice but to think fast to avoid ‘entertaining’ the man before making her exit from the situation.
However, April’s ordeal did not end there and she is left fearing potential repercussions for turning down the man on her return to the village.
After avoiding Ray, she has no option but to face Celia – the gang’s boss – who tells her that she has ‘no choice’ but to do as she is told.
She tells the teenager that she will pay off a ‘chunk’ of her debt and describes prostitution as a simple way to make ‘quick and easy’ money.
Emmerdale has been hit with dozens of Ofcom complaints after its latest harrowing storyline saw April Windsor, 16, s3x trafficked to a much older man
Struggling with debts, April, turns to drug dealing, but when she arrives in a hotel room to deliver drugs to a businessman, she realises that he is expecting a lot more from the interaction
She said: ‘I bet when you first met Ray you never imagined you’d be able to handle him the way you do now.
‘It’ll be the same for our customers. Tim’s a pussycat compared to some others.
‘If you’d have fluffed up his ego and made him feel important, you’d still be sitting here now just with a big chunk of your debt paid off.’
April replied: ‘I won’t do what he was asking.’
Celia said: ‘Except you have no choice. And it’s quick and easy money.
‘There’s no shame in that, is there?’
The storyline is set to continue over the coming weeks as April finds herself falling deeper into Celia’s web of control.
The scenes outraged many viewers and ITV has reportedly been hit with a whopping 62 Ofcom complaints.
The scenes outraged many viewers and ITV has reportedly been hit with a whopping 62 Ofcom complaints
Meanwhile, many viewers took to social media to share their outrage at the storyline, with one saying that they were going to boycott the show as a result.
They wrote: I have boycotted #emmerdale it’s not a good storyline with April and not my cup of tea bye bye emmerdale [sic].’
Others wrote on Twitter/X: ‘So how long is this awful storyline with April & Dylan & the drugs baron going to go on for? #emmerdale.’;
‘April far too young for this part #emmerdale.’;
‘April being groomed is a dark episode #emmerdale.’
‘April has been through too much as it is. This isn’t necessary #Emmerdale.’;
‘That felt incredibly dark tonight. And has April not been through enough this year? I really hope Celia/Ray are rumbled sooner rather than later #Emmerdale.’
However, not everyone was outraged by the controversial storyline, with another viewer describing it as ‘outstanding’ TV.
They praised: ‘What an extremely hard hitting, poignant episode of #emmerdale this evening. April is getting some extremely gritty storylines for someone so young.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to ITV for comment.
