‘Coronation Street’ did not breach Ofcom guidelines with a scene that showed character Billy Mayhew taking heroin in a church, the broadcasting watchdog has ruled.
Ofcom received over 200 complaints when the pre-watershed scene aired back in February but following an investigation, the soap is in the clear.
At the time, a ‘Coronation Street’ spokesperson said: “‘Coronation Street’ has a strong tradition of tackling serious contemporary issues in a responsible way.
“In upcoming episodes we will be showing the very negative side of drug taking as Billy’s life starts to fall apart.”
Actor Daniel Brocklebank, who plays Billy, has also defended the plot.
Appearing on ‘Lorraine’ in March, he was keen to emphasise that the storyline could have a positive impact.
“To tell the story, to show that hard-working moral people can fall into that state, is an important story to tell,” he said. “People have been shocked because Billy started off such a sweet, amiable character, and so for him to turn into that…”
In recent weeks, ‘Coronation Street’ has been in the spotlight for its portrayal of another serious issue.
In mid-March, viewers saw David Platt raped by a man he believed to be his friend and the episodes that followed have seen him struggle to cope with what happened.