Ofcom has ruled they will not be investigating complaints made about a recent episode of ‘Emmerdale’, which saw Aaron Dingle subjected to homophobic, violent abuse.
A total of 269 viewers contacted with the broadcasting watchdog about the episode, which aired on Monday 6 March, but they have decided that while it did include “strong and violent themes”, it did not breach any guidelines.
The episode in particular saw Aaron beaten by a gang of thugs, with ringleader Jason hurling homophobic insults at him.
A statement reads: “We assessed complaints that a prison storyline, with strong and violent themes, was not suitable for broadcast before the watershed.
“However, the violence was appropriately limited, and clear warnings were provided at the start of the programmes. We also took into account Emmerdale’s established role in presenting sometimes challenging or distressing social issues.”
They have also said that references to drugs in the episode were “editorially justified”.
Danny Miller’s character Aaron was imprisoned last month, shortly after getting hitched to Robert Sugden.
His time in prison is set to continue being a main focus for the soap, and ‘Emmerdale’ executive producer Iain MacLeod is planning a standalone episode that will examine Aaron’s struggles, and the issues his family face while he is behind bars.
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